Second witness Kantonga testifies against Chaponda in corruption-related charges:  Maize procurement from  Zambia case

The case of the  controversial procurement of maize from Zambia continued on Wednesday as the State paraded its second witness—former Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) Director of Operations Feckson Kantonga —telling the Blantyre Magistrate’s Court that on two occasions Transglobe Produce Export Limited which was referred by former minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda as a potential supplier, asked Admarc if they could supply maize.

Kantonga also claimed that in December 2016 trucks containing maize arrived at Admarc Lilongwe depot with Transglobe documentation despite Admarc not having a contract with the grain dealer.

He asserted that the trucks were returned because there was no contract with Transglobe.

Kantonga further told the Court that the maize that the grain dealer wanted to supply to the Corporation was not meeting the standard minimum quality.

This, according to him, was discovered after Admarc carried out some tests on the maize to establish if the commodity was of good quality.

Kantonga was paraded after the cross-examination of first witness former Chief Executive Officer of Admarc Foster Mulambe who equally explained how former Agriculture Minister George Chaponda and Rashid Tayub, one of the Directors of Transglobe, pressed him to give a contract to the grain dealer.

On Tuesday, Mulumbe told the Court that former Minister of Agriculture flouted procedures for the supply maize.

He said Chaponda referred to him Transglobe as a potential supplier and canavassed for the State grain trader  to buy  maize from the company.

In his testimony,  Mulumbe said after Chaponda introduced Transglobe, one of the directors of the company, Rashid Tayub, approached him for a possible deal to supply the staple grain to Admarc..

He testified against Chaponda  and implicated him during cross examination when lead counsel for the defence team, Tamando Chokhotho, asked him why Admarc refused the offer from Transglobe a local company the contract to buy maize from Zambia.

Mulumbe told the court that Chaponda was furious with the performance of  Zambia Coopertaive Federation (ZCF) during meetings of the humanitarian response committee headed by Vice-President Dr Saulos Chilima.

The former Admarc boss told the court that the former Agriculture Minister then forwarded him an e-mail from Transglobe attached with a copy of an export licence.

Mulumbe said despite that Chaponda did not directly  instruct him to buy maize from Transglobe Produce Export Limited, there was canvassing from the former minister.

“Directly, I can say [that] at no point did  Chaponda instruct me to buy maize from Transglobe,” Mulumbe told the court.

“But you have seen the emails from Chaponda that were sent to him from Tayub. He made phone calls, asking me if I had anything from Transglobe and, during our meetings, he mentioned a number of suppliers, of which Transglobe stood out,” said Mulumbe.

According to the charge sheet, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed four charges, of which Chaponda is answering three and Tayub of Transglobe Produce Export Limited  is answering one of the charges.

The Bureau arrested Chaponda,  Rashid Tayub and Grace  Mijiga Mhango for their involvement in the procurement of maize from Zambia by Admarc.

The ACB had received a complaint alleging that procurement procedures were not followed in the maize deal.

The graft bursting body netted the three  in July this year after establishing that offences were committed in the maize procurement deal.

Chaponda, a Parliamentarian for Mulanje South West and also governing  Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President for the South, was charged with corruptly performing public functions, misuse of public office, and possession of foreign currency, contrary to Section, 25A(1), 25B (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act, and Regulation 25A(1) of the Exchange Control Regulations, as read with Section 3 of the Exchange Control Act, respectively.

While Mijiga Mhango was charged with forgery, contrary to Section 351of the Penal Code.

Chaponda and Tayub pleaded not guilty to the charges.

State counsel Macmillan Chakhala said other witnesses to be paraded are members of parliament who are meeting in Lilongwe and the other to testify is currently in India and would be available until next month.

He indicated the State would parade 22 witnesses to testify against in the case.

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