HRCC calls for ADMARC board to be dissolved for failing to discpline CEO Mulumbe over ‘maizegate’

President Peter Mutharika has been asked by Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC)to dissolve the sstate produce trader ADMARC board for failing to discipline its Chief Executive Officer Foster Mulumbe, whose conduct was faulted by the presidential commission of inquiry probing the maize deal.

HRCC Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba said in a statement that failure by the board to execute recommendations by the commission of inquiry that was instituted by Mutharika is bringing the authority of the president into disrepute.

Among its findings, the commission observed that the conduct of Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) officials in signing and executing the Zambia Cooperative Federation contract amounted to fraud and exposed the corporation and the government to civil litigation.

It further concluded that “Admarc was grossly negligent in failing to negotiate a lower contract price for the purchase and delivery of maize under the ZCF contract”.

HRCC  finds the inaction by Admarc board ‘strange and suspicious’ and believes disbanding the board would be a sensible move.

Mulumbe is back in office after being sent on forced leave in January.

“The delay by the board to act on Mulumbe is in a way promoting corruption and impunity which has no place in democratic Malawi, says Mkwezalamba.

HRCC also claims that it has received a reports that the board is failing to meet due to lack of funds and suspects that Mulumbe may be behind the freeze on funding the meeting.

The watchdog says Malawians  deserve better and the current Admarc board  chaired by lawyer Masumbu has failed them, hence the need for a new board that will not compromise its independence.

Minister of information and government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi accused the committee of making sweeping statements without finding out from the board what is going on.

 

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