Viola arrested for pawning Malawi govt vehicle to loan shark

Malawi Police in Chikwawa District has arrested deputy chief executive officer for the state run grain storage facility, the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), Gerald Viola for using a government vehicle as collateral to obtain a loan from a Ngabu based loan shark.

It is alleged that officials from the Office President and Cabinet (OPC) have been looking for the vehicle since last year.

However, upon discovering the vehicle at Ngabu trading center this week, it is reported that officials from OPC reported the matter to police so that they can confiscate it.

The original number plate of the vehicle  – a black Toyota Camry  – is MG489AE .

When quizzed by Chikwawa Police, the Ngabu based loan shark refused to release the vehicle until Viola, a former broadcaster, pays back his money.

Viola is a sympathiser of the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and served as the second press secretary for former president Peter  Mutharika before he was fired because of his poor relationship with some media houses.

He briefly worked in the ministry of Information as technical advisor before he was appointed to another lucrative job in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) as number four after the secretary to the cabinet.

Viola vied for a parliamentary seat in Chikhwawa but failed to win the election.

He was briefly arrested during the election vote counting period on allegations that he was involved in vote rigging and result manipulation in Chikhwawa, an allegation which was not proved and the police released him unconditionally.