New twist in Buluma saga

Former National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) acting chief executive officer Helen Buluma yesterday accused some public officers of attempting to cut corners in fuel deals, but one of those she accused has described her claims as “atrocious”.

In her presentation before the Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of Parliament in Lilongwe, she specifically mentioned Nocma board chairperson and Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba as having pressured her to sign what she believed were dubious fuel supply contracts.

Buluma, whose departure from her position as Nocma deputy CEO last week was as controversial as her reign, also claimed before the committee that some senior government officials, including Ministry of Energy Principal Secretary Alfonso Chikuni, Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services director general Charles Kalumo and Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) CEO Henry Kachaje played roles she was uncomfortable with in the search for solutions to the fuel crisis that has hit the country.

She also claimed that some fuel brokers, allegedly sent by Zamba, wanted to intercept an already negotiated fuel deal between Malawi Government and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Here, she mentioned a Nigeria-based broker only addressed as “Chief” and a South Africa-based motivational speaker Evarista Kamwangala as among those who pestered her to sign fuel deals.

Buluma said President Lazarus Chakwera had earlier advised her in a face-to-face meeting not to bow down to political pressure and disregard anyone who uses the President’s name for personal gain.

She said “Chief”, who was introduced to her by Zamba, contacted her and requested for specifications, which were sent. Days later the broker allegedly forwarded documents on Whatsapp for 700SA Oil and Gas Company for her to sign without any terms attached, committing Nocma to be procuring product from him.

Said Buluma: “I did discuss with madam [board] chairperson [Zamba] that the whole thing required a lot of processes and I had to do it in the most diplomatic manner because this was my boss…

“After a while, I was still pushed to consider ‘Chief’ and that the Nigerian needed to be part of the people to supply.”

However, she told the committee that she still cautioned the SPC that the process was unprocedural and that ordinarily, a tender ought to be put out.

Buluma further alleged that some weeks later, after a $50 million facility from the Arab Bank for Africa Economic Development (Badea) was ready for disbursement, the SPC queried her on the delays to conclude the deal with ‘Chief’ before the funds were depleted.

She also told the committee that Kamwangala wanted to intercept the fuel support financing deal the President had negotiated in Dubai on his way from the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Buluma said Zamba introduced Kamwangala to her in early October after disussions on the financing arrangement between Nocma and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company had started. She said Zamba told her to work with Kamwangala.

She said: “At that point, I didn’t know Evarista’s surname or whether she was Malawian, but my former boss [Zamba] said this lady will help us with Abu Dhabi. I wondered as to why they had brought in a middleperson in an agreement that was already ongoing between Nocma and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

“I felt this was an interception in terms of the processes. A contract was already under negotiation and we were now advised that we should work through this lady. I wasn’t aware whether she was a government official or from Abu Dhabi, but I was told to work with her.”

Buluma said on October 21 2022, Kamwangala sent her a WhatsApp message asking about fuel reserves and after a few days of no communication, the SPC quizzed Buluma for dragging her feet to finalise the deal with Kamwangala.

She said the SPC arranged a meeting for her with Kamwangala and ‘Chief’ in her boardroom at the Office of the President and Cabinet where she was allegedly pressured to sign the document without dueprocess. But she told the committee that she could not sign contracts negotiated elsewhere.

Buluma said it later became clear that the Abu Dhabi fuel support financing had more than four brokers and would take longer to be concluded.

She also claimed she was asked to travel to Dubai and sign some fuel contracts, but she gave an excuse and never did.

Buluma said: “When I did my research, I thought this could be some sort of money laundering because what I knew and what the President also knew was that the discussions were to be between Nocma and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or government to government supply agreement.”

She told the committee that the SPC and Chikuni were copied all the communications with the brokers, meaning the two knew what was happening.

But in an interview yesterday, Chikuni described Buluma’s allegations as “atrocious” and that she fed the committee half-baked versions to advance her own agenda.

He said he ensured that all the meetings he attended were recorded and challenged that if people check minutes, the truth would be known.

Chikuni said during the meetings he attended, government officials discussed options of longer open credit or different modes of financing to replace the scarcity of forex.

He said: “There were options such as a supplier who can be paid in kwacha and payable 90 days or doing a commodity swap and the law allows for such during crisis.”

On Buluma’s claims that at one meeting at Capital Hill where a company known as GY and Sons was introduced, there was a discussion on how to share profits, Chikuni denied, saying minutes of such meetings were recorded.

Other officials present during the meeting included Kachaje, Kalumo, a Mr Chaima from Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Secretary to the Treasury and Chikuni.

When reached for comment, Kachaje said he was out of the country and therefore, unable to comment on something he did not follow.

We were unable to talk to Zamba and Kalumo.