By Chisomo Phiri
In a dramatic twist of events the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament which today was supposed to start meeting stakeholders as part of the enquiry on Malawi’s botched fertilizer procurement deal with East Bridge says it will not proceed with the enquiry.
PAC chairperson Mark Botomani has told local media in Lilongwe a short while ago after the committee’s two hour inhouse meeting that the decision has been made after analysing all documents concerned parties presented to the committee on the matter.
He said the committee’s assessment of the documents has found that no public expenditure was made under the deal Malawi entered with the Romanian firm hence no need to proceed meeting the parties on the matter.
The Commitee was among others expected to meet Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda, officials from the Government Contracting Unit, ministry of Agriculture and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority.
As part of the deal, Malawi was expected to exchange produce including 250, 000 metric tons of Soya beans at USD 528 per mt, translating into USD132,000,000 (MK132 billion) and 250,000mt of groundnuts at USD 725 per mt costing USD 181,250,000 (about MK182 billion).
