ACB pounces on Viola over NFRA procurement gone wary

The graft busting body, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), has arrested Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), Gerald Viola, for alleged unilateral decision to offer a contract to a company to supply maize to the agency.

Viola is suspected of giving a contract to Missies Trading to supply 10,000 metric tonnes of maize to NFRA in January this year for the advantage of Mr Chrispin Chingola of the same company.

“Viola is suspected to have committed the offence on or about 22nd January 2020 when he, as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NFRA, issued LPO (Local Purchase Order) to a company called Missies Trading to supply 10,000 metric tonnes of maize for the advantage of Mr Chrispin Chingola of the same Missies Trading without involving the Internal Procurement and Disposal of Assets Committee. He will be taken to the after the Bureau has finished interviewing him,” reads a press release from ACB and signed by its senior public relations officer, Egritta Ndala.

Early this year, Nyasa Times published a story about the underhand deals Viola made with the company.

He denied any wrongdoing.