Thread by @Times360Malawi

#NewsUpdate: Former Energy Minister Newton Kambala, Aford President Enoch Chihana and Former Chief Advisor to President on Strategy Chris Chaima Banda have arrived at the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate Court to continue hearing of their case of political interference ...

... in the awarding of fuel supply contracts.

Nocma acting Chief Executive Officer Hellen Buluma is today expected to continue testifying against the three.

Reported by Taonga Sabola

The defence is being represented by lawyers Wapona Kita, Bright Theu, Khumbo Soko, Gilbert Khonyongwa, George Mtchuka Mwale, among others.

The State is being represented by ACB Director General Martha Chizuma and lawyers from ACB.

Immediately after Buluma resumed giving her evidence, Chizuma asked the court for a 5 minute adjournment to sort out a mix-up in documents, which Chief Resident Magistrate Patrick Chirwa has granted.

In her testimony, Buluma claims that during a meeting with Chris Chaima Banda which took place at Kang'ombe House in Lilongwe on a Sunday, Chaima Banda told her that him, Chihana and Kambala were working for the President and that he was a linkman.

Buluma said Chaima Banda told her to give Finergy Oil company 40,000 metric tonnes contract of fuel.

She has further claimed that Chaima Banda told her that she will be made CEO and that the former Nocma CEO Gift Dulla was not coming back.

Buluma says Chaima Banda was very authoritative in his instructions and that she, Buluma, decided not to enter into a debate with Chaima Banda.

Buluma claims that five days after meeting Chaima Banda, Kambala called her to his office where he told her that he was in touch with another bidder, Trafigura.

Buluma said Kambala indicated that he came to know about Trafigura from Davis Lanjesi who was at that time CEO of Puma Malawi.

Buluma claims that Kambala told her that Trafigura officials were coming to Malawi and that they wanted to understand the previous relationship between Trafigura and Nocma.

Buluma added that the conversation with Kambala also led to another supplier Orxy.

She claims that Kambala told her that Oryx officials were jetting into the country the same week, regarding the fuel supply contracts.

Buluma says she told Kambala that as Nocma, they were not allowed to meet bidders in the bidding process.

She said Kambala asked her whether she understood his role in the procurement process as a minister.

Buluma claims that Kambala told her that he was in charge of the procurement process and that the former Minister reminded her that he was the one to be giving her instructions and that if she could not do what was instructed, she could lose her job as Nocma CEO.

Buluma claims that Kambala called her to his office and told her that he could instruct one of the suppliers to give Buluma $500,000 ( K430 million).

She says Kambala advised her that 'moyo ndiochepa'.

"You never know where you will be tomorrow and that he had the powers to make sure that I had a better life even if the government decided to let me go.

"He said he would defend me but if that doesn't happen, he would advise the suppliers who won the bids to give me something.

"He said me and my children, including my parents, would never suffer".

Buluma has said she told Kambala that she could not do anything that is not according to the law.

She said she cited an example of former Petroleum Control Commission Dennis Kambalame who went to prison for similar offences but that the politicians behind it were not punished.

Buluma further claims that Kambala told her that he had the powers to cancel the tender process or instruct Mera not to give Nocma an approval on the deal.

Buluma says after declining the offer, on November 2 they closed the bidding process and opened the tender documents.

Buluma says Kambala later called for a meeting of truck drivers where he promised them 100 percent of Nocma's fuel business.

Buluma said on November 6, 2020 she told her team at Nocma that she was reporting the matter to ACB.

Buluma further says days later, Kambala wrote Nocma Board, suspending the process of proceeding evaluating the bids, citing complaints from bidders, among others.

Buluma says the Nocma Board responded to the Minister that at its meeting on December 2 2020, it unanimously agreed that the management should proceed with the evaluation of the bids.