Court in Karonga ordersmaize return to Tanzania

 Karonga first grade magistrate Julius Kalambo on Tuesday granted the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) an order of variation to send back 1 780 bags of maize imported from Tanzania through Songwe Border.

In December last year, the government banned importation of maize from Tanzania and Kenya due to the maize lethal necrosis disease which poses a threat to maize production.

The ruling followed an application by MRA asking the court to suspend an earlier ruling made on January 2 2024 at Songwe Border that the maize, imported by two Tanzanian traders, can only be allowed into Malawi if milled.

The January 2 order also allowed the release of six trucks that carried the maize to return to Tanzania, while MRA was granted custody of the said grain.

However, MRA, through lawyer Watson Chirwa moved to apply for variation order that gave it custody of the maize grain because it did not have space to keep it.

In his ruling, Kalambo said it was surprising to note that the same State that held the maize grain is saying that it does not have space for storage.

He said: “According to what has transpired, it means that there is no government agent to keep the maize at hand. And under Section 53 of the Courts Act, I suspend the order that ordered MRA to keep the maize since there is a government ban on importation of maize from Tanzania and Kenya into Malawi.

“I, therefore, return the maize to its source. In other words, I give back the said maize and the six vehicles to owners forthwith”.

Two Malawian clearing agents, Palisha Swira and Mike Lucious, are alleged to have helped clear the maize and the State has since charged them with forgery of unofficial documents