Malawi parliamentary inquiry on maizegate throws away procurement chief
Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture officials have sent back the Director of Public Procurement Paul Taulo from an inquiry on maizegate — maize procurement saga that has hit Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc).
The joint committee of Public Accounts Committee and Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture have been instituted to probe allegations of irregularities at Admarc and Ministry of Agriculture in the procurement of maize from Zambia.
The Parliament inquiry accused the procurement chief of not having knowledge of the documents he presented and the issue at hand.
The inquiry members on Wednesday were not impressed with responses by Taulo who kept on responding that he did not have answers to the questions by the committee members.
Taulo also showed no knowledge of the documents he tendered to the committee.
He kept on saying a Mr Jeke or a Mr Chirwa were better placed to respond to the questions.
Taulo, however, told the inquiry that on June 17, 2016, he received a call from the Admarc CEO Foster Mulumbe from Zambia, who said he had found maize in the western neighbour which he wanted to buy and asked for procedures.
“I was just three days in my job and it was a Friday and on my way home in Neno so I referred him to Mr Chirwa who advised the Admarc CEO to send the documents by email,” he said.
However, Taulo kept on contradicting himself and showed no knowledge of basic issues on the matter.
The chairman of the committee Dr Jospeh Chidanti Malunga sent him packing and told him to come back when ready.
In the afternoon, Admarc officials were appearing before the parliament initiated inquiry.
On Tuesday, the vocal civil society organisations appeared before the committee. So far, there is no evidence implicating either Minister of Agriculture George Chaponda or Mulumbe.
The committee comprises 10 members, five from each of the two committees and will be co-chaired by the vice-chairperson of Public Accounts Committee, Kamlepo Kalua, and chairperson of the Agriculture Committee, Joseph Chidanti Malunga.
The objectives of the inquiry are to establish whether procurement procedures were flouted and if they were, to bring to book all institutions and individuals involved.
The Parliament inquiry is due to establish the extent Admarc, Ministry of Agriculture and Office of the Director of Public Procurement (ODPP) were involved and what decisions were made during the procurement process.
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Parliamentary inquiry is not qualified too.
The objectivity of the parliamentary inquiry is very much questionable. Listening to them posing question utter unprofessionalism was clearly manifested because they could not hide their biasness to implicate without much indepth details. Their frustration was vented by interjections when the ODPP and ADMARK CEO were narrating their stories. All in all, even the inquiry committee was not prepared too. Found it absurd when Mps kept intimidating the interviewees by reminding the of oath they had taken earlier mindful of how mps themselves abuse this oath in parliament when misconducting business in the chamber. Mps are not qualified themselves to investigate a scam of maizegate magnitude. Period. Neutrality is lacking in these MPs.
If there is a corrupt body, it is the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments. This is the Committee that passed Taulo as ODPP and CHRIS TUKULA as Director of Assets Declaration.
Iwenso ndiwosekesa bwanji? kkkkkkkkkkkkk umakhala ku Malawi konkuno iwe? hhhhhhhhhhh
Vuto lolemba ntchito kuziwana zikuvutani kwabasi muzathawaso mudziko muno time is coming
Now Thinktank if Parliament approved Taulo to be the Procurement Chief should that surprise you or rather condemn Parliament for their foolishness? Do you approve someone who is under-qualified or the one who qualifies for the job? Whose problem is this now – Taulo’s or Parliament’s? The problem is that we have a silly Parliament in Malawi full of uneducated people? If Taulo was appointed by the Head of State and went through Parliament for vetting, it was up to Parliament to disqualify him if they felt he didn’t have what it takes to be at that position. I repeat our Parliament is full of fools. They should see how the American Congress is putting to task Trump’s picks, more likely some of them will be rejected.
I watched the entire interview; the guy is not professional and I don’t know how he was picked and approved to take that position. He deserves to be fired. On the other hand Malawians we need to learn to be serious with our country, just look at how Mulumbe is presenting facts as if he is talking to his boys at home.
Think thank is ignorant about the whole issue. Did you listen to it on zodiak radio or you are just a follower of bwenu bwenus? The guy, Taulos, explained just impressively but the parliamentary committee is there just to find fault.The committee was not finding anything within their interest. Thus why they were not happy with him. Even when the CEO came he explained the same thing only that in a formal way using documentation since the CEO was prepared after being tipped off by Taulos. Finally you can imagine that members of the committee were asking silly questions like how many tones of maize are there remaining in our silos. Some were just against that there could be a distance of over 1000 km from Lilongwe to any point in Zambia. Some were just interested in the sequence of events , imagine that. Others wanted to interfere the CEO to the extent of saying , telling the that the committee members know the CEO and he has to explain properly and the CEO also said he knows him.
This issue is nothing. There is no evidence whatsoever. In Zambia it is an opposition guy championing it so far he has failed to produce any evidence. Okay Tiye nazoni mudyeko ma allowance a Kamlepo
What do u mean to say that ODPP isnt qualified?
isn’t it the same parliament through one of it’s committee (PAC) chaired by one vocal MP Menyani who approved Mr Taulo as ODPP?
come on and get a life u haters. just stay focused for your time will come but only if you works hard.
Taulo is our ODPP basi mufune-musafune otherwise go n hung yourself u haters.
All in all, God bless Malawi and its leader APM!!!!!!
surprise surprise the punk is a DPP cadet not qualified at all
Tchwe mwana tchwe was watching These Mps are seriouse no jokes mix Kamlepo lol kwatentha amwene
What do u mean to say that ODPP isnt qualified?
isn’t it the same parliament through one of it’s committee (PAC) chaired by one vocal MP Menyani who approved Mr Taulo as ODPP?
come on and get a life u haters. just stay focused for your time will come but only if you works hard.
Taulo is our ODPP basi mufune-musafune otherwise go n hung yourself u haters.
All in all, God bless Malawi and its leader APM!!!
Taulo is a bunch of shit indeed, not fit for that position
That’s what happens when you put a cadet in the position. At this point in our bout, Chaponda 2 and Chidanti 6. Let’s see if we will get to round 12.
So far there is no evidence, liars? Chaponda was personally involved in clinching the deal. He knew which buttons to press having worked in Zambia for a number of years before. Mwalowanso ndale ngati solicitor general Jane Chirwa?
Inquire again on Njauju, Matafale, Kalonga Stambuli, Sheikh Baghdad, Robert Chasowa, Tractorgate, jetgate, 577 cashgate, maizegate, Ndata farm
Taulo only qualification is “DPP cadet”….that’s all.He is the one giving businesses to the bogus Ben Phiri company. ..He is not qualified for the job. Surprised that parliament approved him.