Former Malawian minister arrested over maize deal

By Moses Michael-Phiri

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AA) - A former agriculture minister was arrested Wednesday over corruption allegations stemming from a $35 million maize importation deal.

George Chaponda, 74, was arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officers in the southern city of Blantyre on Tuesday.

The bureau’s Deputy Director Reyneck Matemba told The Nation newspaper that the ex-minister faced questioning over his role in the procurement of emergency food from Zambia last year.

In a statement, the bureau said Chaponda would appear before court later charged with “corruptly performing public functions, misuse of public office and possession of foreign currency.”

“We wish to make it clear to the public and all stakeholders that [we] are an independent professional institution which operates independently without any influence from any one,” ACB spokeswoman Egrita Ndala told Anadolu Agency.

Chaponda, a former diplomat and lawyer, was sacked in February after he was implicated in a deal to import $35 million worth of maize from neighboring Zambia.

At the time, 8 million people in Malawi, nearly half the population, faced severe food shortages caused by drought.

Chaponda was placed under investigation following a recommendation by a presidential inquiry into the procurement deal. The inquiry found he had flouted procedures by hiring a private broker to import the maize, which is the main staple of Malawi.

He is also accused of sourcing the grain, in contravention of ministerial rules, for personal gain.