GOVT TO PROBE JET SALE DEAL

Barely days after launching a fresh forensic audit in the Capital Hill Cashgate, government plans to launch a probe into the controversial sale of the country’s presidential jet.
Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe said yesterday government would like to establish the truth about the disposal of the French-made jet to Bohnox Enterprises Limited, a subsidiary of Paramount Group, a South Africa-based defence and military equipment supplier.

In a brief response, Gondwe said: “Yes, I can confirm that we will launch an investigation into the sale of the jet. It has not started yet, but we will do so.”
Just like its purchase by the administration of former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika, the sale of the jet attracted controversy as it later transpired that it was “battered off” to offset a $19 million debt owed to Paramount Group.
The Joyce Banda administration then further claimed it was not aware that Bohnox was part of the Paramount Group.
However, government had previously given conflicting explanations on the sale of the jet, including how the State had used the proceeds of the jet—prompting some donors such as the United Kingdom, opposition parties and civil society organisations (CSOs) to demand an investigation into the sale.
And reacting to the development yesterday, Chris Chisoni, national coordinator for the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), said the nation was demanding justice and accountability on the sale of the jet.
Said Chisoni: “We are very happy government is taking that step. We need an inquest into what happened. When we made the call for accountability and transparency on the sale, it was not aimed at a particular person. So, today we still repeat as civil society that we want the nation to be told the truth.  There was a lot of noise when the jet was sold because nobody was consulted in the country and nobody knew the truth.”
Chisoni said if an inquest reveals procurement procedures were flouted, the deal should be cancelled and the jet be returned whereas if the process was fair, the country should still reclaim the proceeds of the jet.
“We have to see the money in Account Number One. I don’t think it will be a tough job. The newspapers in the country, especially the Nation [Publications Limited brands] did a number of investigative stories full of details of what transpired and government should quickly move in to ensure the proceeds are returned to the citizens of this country,” added Chisoni.
Malawi coughed $22m to buy the Dassault Falcon 900EX jet in 2009 under Mutharika’s rule, a move that angered western donors who claimed that the jet was partly bought using donor funds aimed at uplifting the impoverished citizenry.