Admarc Official, Vendors in Maize Scandal

By: Chikondi Magalasi

Malawi Police in Machinga district is keeping in custody the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) official suspected of Abuse of Office contrary to section 95 of the penal code.

Confirming the development to The Malawi Star, Machinga Police public relations officer Constable Davie Sulumba, identified the suspect as a          34-year-old Felix Mponda an employee at Nanyumbu Admarc depot.

Sulumba said the Police arrested the suspect following a tipoff that he sold a large quantity of maize to some vendors at a price of K7000.00 per bag.

“We received information from our sources that the named suspect who is a worker (popularly known as a buyer in the district) at Nanyumbu Admarc depot sold some bags of maize in bulks to some vendors. Followups by our officers made to the said Admarc confirmed that some bags of maize were indeed sold at K 7,000.00 per bag,” said Sulumba.

In connection to this case, the law enforcers have arrested four vendors and seized over 60 bags of the Malawians’ staple food.

Police are keeping vendors namely; Fedson Msume 35, who comes from Longolola village in the Area of Traditional Authority Kawinga in Machinga who bought four bags of Maize, Umali Magetsi 24 of Michongwe village in the area of Traditional Authority Kawinga in Machinga who bought three bags, Mussa Mbawala whose particulars are unknown who 21 bags and Dyton Kona aged 28 of Chikadya village in Traditional Authority Kawinga in Machinga district and is said to have bought 18 bags of maize.

According to the Law enforcers’ publicist, two vendors whose particulars are yet to be established have also been arrested and they are still hunting for other two but their bags of maize have already been seized.

The Admarc suspected official hails from Ng’andu Village Traditional Authority Ngokwe in Machinga district. Currently, the suspects are pending for court proceedings.

Meanwhile, Police have issued a strong warning to the vendors and Admarc officials to desist from this malpractice or else they will be arrested and face the law.

This development comes as hunger is hitting poor Malawians who are struggling to buy the staple food in Admarc depots.  Many people at the depot over the night hoping to buy in the morning of the following day only to be told the maize has run out.