Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) Board Chairperson, James Masumbu, has hinted that dismissal is one of the actions that could be taken on embattled Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the grain marketer, Foster Mulumbe, at its meeting scheduled for next week.
In an interview yesterday, Masumbu said depending on the seriousness of the procedures that were flouted, and the role Mulumbe played in the procurement of maize from Zambia, the board will have two options: either to fire Mulumbe or reprimand the officials involved.
Some two weeks ago, Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) officers raided Mulumbe’s offices and house as well as those of Admarc Director of Operations, Feckson Kantonga, in Blantyre and, among other things, seized some office equipment and files.
In a latest development, Masumbu said the board will also first take action on the two senior officials before moving to others who might have been involved in the shady deals.
“Looking at the action by ACB officers recently, they focused on Mulumbe and Kantonga and we will also focus our disciplinary action on those two before moving to anybody else implicated in the scam. I have not personally finished reading all the reports and the recommendations by the Commission [of Inquiry commissioned by President Peter Mutharika] and [Parliamentary] Joint Committee [of Public Accounts and Agriculture]. So, it’s too early to say as to how many more people will face disciplinary action,” Masumbu said.
He also confirmed reports that Mulumbe is back in office after
he was sent on forced leave in December last year to pave the way for investigations into the maize scandal.
He was, however, quick to point out that the CEO’s return does not mean all is well.
“Mr Mulumbe has been in office for some weeks now and it does not mean the board will not act [on him and others]. We have arranged that, at the time members of the board will be meeting to look at staff issues, we also want to use the same meeting to plan for our budget for this year so that’s why there have been some delays. But I have been assured by the finance team that they will be finalising plans very soon,” Masumbu said.
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