Ntaba, Bisnowaty bulldozing Central Medical Stores Trust for K2.8bn pay

Treasury officials  have faulted Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice president for the Central Region Hetherwick Ntaba and DPP’s  Lilongwe City Centre Member of Parliament David Bisnowaty for bulldozing the Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) to pay  Bisnowaty K2.8 billion on supplies to the Trust.

Bisnowaty  supply drugs and a medical supply for public hospitals through his SADM Pharmaceuticals Limited and CMST owes him about K2.8 billion in total.

Dr Ntaba—who is also President Peter Mutharika’s aide— has been a close ally of Bisnowaty and uses his political muscle to help the legislature from the time of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) regime.

The two have been pressing the Trust to pay the K2.8billion debt in full.

“We have received complaints from CMST officials that Ntaba and Bisnowaty were pressing to have the money paid in full, claiming it was orders from State House. This is unacceptable,” a top Treasury official told Nyasa Times, opting for anonymity.

Trust officials confirmed about the development but were coy to comment for fear of reprisals.

CMST—a public trust mandated to procure medical drugs and equipment on behalf of government— said they informed Treasury about the pressure they were getting from Ntaba and Bisnowaty because they could not pay all the money at once.