I’m not a stealer but shrewed businessman – Mulli

September 25, 2018 Green Muheya -Nyasa Times 24 Comments

Mulli Brothers Limited managing director Leston Mulli has said he is disappointed that the leadership of United Transformation Movement (UTM) ganged up at their weekend rallies to attack him, saying he is a hardworking businessman and employer of hundreds of Malawians wh should not be dragged in petty politics.

Mulli: I am not a stealer

Mulli said UTM leadership including vice president Saulso Chilima  attacked him  among other things on short-changing smallholder farmers in  Nandolo (pigeon peas) crop   buying them at a lower prices and he will be selling on higher prices at  State produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) .

President Peter Mutharika recently directed Admarc to buy pigeon peas at K230 per kilogramme (kg) .

“I did not buy Nandolo because the prices were down. Why accusing me, why always Mulli,” said the Phalombe tycoon.

“Why pointing fingers at me. Is it because I am black?  What about other people who have bought Nandolo,  why are you not talk about them, is it because they are foreigners?”

Mulli challenged anyone to check in all his warehouses  for the crop to prove that he is not hoarding it.

“I am not a stealer [thief]. I just do business. I am just shrewed businessman hence people always are jealous with me,” Mulli, who is also Mulhako wa Alhomwe chairperson,  said in an interview aired on Times Radio and TV.

His remarks of “stealer” triggered a debate on social media, with other Malawians suggested Mulli had murdered the Queen’s language.

One Facebook user Mzindi Lungu argued that a thief is the word used for someone who is commiting a crime by stealing something. Stealer is informal and can be used in situations like ‘boyfriend-stealer’ (an informal, made-up word) or other less criminal instances of theft such as ‘sandwich-stealer!’

He wrote that the word “thief” is a noun, which refers to a person who steals. The word “steal” is a verb, which refers to a person taking something without the owner’s permission. There is no such noun as “stealer” nor a verb such as “to thieve.” Therefore, “a thief steals things” makes sense but to say “a stealer thieves things” does not.

Business commentator and newspaper columnist Aubrey Mchulu argued that the biggest loser in the whole  Nandol deal is the smallholder farmer who is helplessly watching the vendors or ‘middlemen’ who bought the crop from them for a song pushing truckloads to Admarc markets.

“I smell a conspiracy where ‘big boys’, in the name of the poor farmer in Nyezelera, Phalombe, are engaging in some sort of organised crime to siphon public funds by way of laundering through Admarc. How else can one explain this?” wrote the columnist.

Picture this true story, he continued to write: “A peasant farmer sold her nandolo to a vendor at K40/kg only three weeks ago. She sold 26.5 bags each weighing 50 kg at K2 000/bag and earned a paltry K53 000. The vendor, obviously a ‘big boy’, is selling the same to Admarc at K230/kg or K11 500/50kg bag, making a cool K9 500 profit from each bag. If this is not a raw deal (‘theft by tricks’) then what is?

He urged authorities to be making decisions “that are for the general good of all and sundry, not a few chosen few”, saying farmers should be motivated and rewarded through competitive prices, based on market forces.”

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Follow us in Twitter

24 replies on “I’m not a stealer but shrewed businessman – Mulli”

  3. Nandologate is a clear scam, led by President Mutharika himself. Msaka has also been hoarding Nandolo and is set to make a killing. DPP is dead.

  4. I don’t have nandolo for sale, but WHAT SHOULD BE DONE NOW? Should the price remain pa K20 or what should be done? I’m just curious and wanting to know more because I know we people kusintha zinthu kumativuta. Or should the price continue going down to K10?

  5. My friend choyamba chizungu kulibe stealer but a thief. Mind you you received billions from taxpayers money thats stealing. During any civil strife if your property is destroyed, you dont get govt compensation. The judge , you and the Govt are thieves.

  6. You are saying you employ Malawians yet you don’t pay them salaries. I once worked with you and I spent 6 SOLID MONTHS without pay till I voluntarily left your company. You are a crook with still a lot of loans in most companies mainly owned by foreigners and you use your connections with DPP to fufill your evil plans. School timadziwa ndiyopelerewera. You are over ambitious. You don’t do clean business. Where I am now you owe them millions of kwachas and you play hide and seek and you think you are smart. You have more loans that your assets.

  7. I hate Mulli and DPP to the core but on the pigeon peas bit I think Mulli is right. Government has never thought of intervening when Asians rob farmers blind. There have been years of mixed fortunes for cowpeas and cotton farmers but pigeon peas has been a nightmare every year. its high time the government thought of a better plan and exploit the export potential especially to Asia. this crop has. otherwise the Indians will continue exploiting farmers. as for the other bits I have no comments as I do not have information

  9. Mr Mulli, you are missing a valid point that both Chilima and others are raising. There is nothing wrong with being screwed; it’s a quality that any businessman should have. however, being screwed to the detriment of poor people isn’t cool. Mr Mulli, you can’t go around and take advantage of vulnerable poor people to enrich yourself. your dealings with the govt leaves much to be desired. Of course using your connections within the govt isn’t a sin; it is a sin to siphon undeserved funds under the pretext that you’re doing legitimate business with govt agencies. It is common knowledge that the pronouncement made by the head of state directing Admarc to buy nandolo at K230/kg was meant to benefit people like you, amongst others. The fact that amwenye are also benefitting should raise your ire. You are an indigenous Malawian therefore you need to protect the interest of Malawians first before putting yourself in from of the queue just because you can. You should be the first to be vocal against the decision made by the govt for Admarc to but=y nandolo at that price and should not have taken Chilima to denounce it in a public forum. The fact that you are employing 100’s of people at meagre salaries isn’t an excuse to loot nd steal from these so called employees or poor farmers. come on Mr Mulli, your father was a credible man and so should you.

  10. @ Maphwiya doesn’t know what is talking about. Mulli should not get your advice of taking the Chilima team to court. Do think Malawians are sleeping. I am a Lohmwe by tribe and do not take part in politics but the issue of Mulli businesses should be taken with great care. A business which is well performing as presented by Mulli can’t fail to repay loans to Malawi Savings Bank. Mind you this bank was owned by Malawians. Unless something very unusual is happening with his businesses. That unusual thing will likely corner our brother Mulli.

  11. Wakwiba imwe wa Leston Mulli, chenzezo, bwezani isanakutsamwe mdala iwe , you can do it and continue your operatives. Koma mukadikilila kuti madzi ade kaye amatenga nthawi kuti adikhe mudzasauka ngati enawa. You are a fool to commit yourself to stupid politics of malawi so you can gain favours. Ask kampunga akuuza

  12. For crying out loud, why should shrewd businessmen be attacked for seeing and buying into a great opportunity? The farmers should just jack up. Business is not about sympathy for the less shrewd. Kuiwerenga game sikulakwa, kulakwa ndikusaiwerenga game. Big up to everyone who has made a simple killing in a matter of two weeks. They should be encouraged to do more of that. Osamapusa patauni. If the farmers need protection from their own financial naivety, let Parliament pass laws to protect them, otherwise the market will always brutalize the simple in a free market economy. The rich will get richer because of their business acumen, and the poor will get poorer because of their naivety. That’s the truth whether who likes it or not

  13. All the billions that Mulli got from Malawi government will be investigated and he will return it whether he wants it or not. ”The Chair Lhomwes’ gets MK3 billion from a Lhomwe president to help his businesses”. Who else smell that something is wrong here? Now let us talk about the MK8 billion Mulli is going to get from Nandolo deal with AMP. Hard working Malawians are the ones that are paying to the government not stealing from it. Mulli is a liar.

  14. WHERE IS OUR MONEY FROM MALAWI SAVINGS BANK IF YOU ARE NOT A STEALER /THIEF ?? HAVE YOU GIVEN BACK THE 3 BILLION CHILIMA IS TALKING ABOUT ?? IF NOT THEN YOU ARE NOT JUST A STEALER BUT A BIG THIEF IN NIGERIA WE CALL YOU OLELIBULUKU !!!

    1. yes correct bro, when DPP was off power and JB came in the guy was seen to be helpless, pathetic

    2. Chipani cha fuko does not knw the Mullis. Their late father laid down foundation all what you see today. If your late fathers were lazy that is for you Chilima and your comrades not the sons, daughters and grandsons/daughters of late MULLI senior. My advise is that Mulli must drag Chilima and his crews to court immediately. Infact I would be even happier to see the Ngolongoliwas, Mullis and interested Lomwes dragging this stupid UTM thing to court so that they should not dare us any more.

      1. Maphwiya

        You have eyes but you don’t see. you have ears but you do not hear. you have brain but you don’t think. can’t you figure out that there is money laundering there.
        My poor Malawi when shall we see. backing the wrong thing.

      3. Don’t worry Maphwiya my brother, they’ll pay big time after next year’s election. Just like you i don’t like people who drug muli into their sick politics when it comes to his businesses. Muli brothers ndiyotchuka kuyambila kale even munthawi ya muluzi, ana aja ndalama sanayambe kuzigwila lero, kodi bwanji nsanje abale anga? I hate chilama and his bus company, just as i hate Mtambo, trepence, kajoloweka and cso. And i hate everyone who drugs every single lhomwe into their dirty businesses.

Comments are closed.