Twists and turns continue in the ongoing maize smuggling scandal as National Police Headquarters has effected transfers of two senior officers from Chitipa in connection with the scheme, The Daily Times has established.
This comes barely a day after President Peter Mutharika ordered for military enforcement in all the country’s borders, following the impounding of 21 trucks loaded with white maize in Chitipa.
National Police Spokesperson, James Kadadzera, confirmed that Chitipa Police Officer-in- Charge (OC), Rodrick Mpeta, has been transferred and consequently demoted to Station Officer at Kasungu Police Station, while Operations Officer, Isaac Osman, has been moved to Ntchisi as a general duties officer.
There is growing fear that redeployment of the two senior officers may jeopardise the ongoing investigations into the politically connected scam.
But Kadadzera denied the transfers are connected to the maize issue, saying: “Transfers in the police service are normal, they happen all the time, this could be mere coincidence.”
An impeccable source within the law enforcing service has, however, confided in us that the two are being accused of failing to act on a syndicate [maize smuggling] which has been operational for about two months.
It is suspected that there is a syndicate of Malawians and foreigners externalising the staple grain to East Africa despite government placing an export ban about a year ago.
Despite maize not being enlisted as a special crop in the law, the 2015 ban makes it an offence to trade in the crop without an official permit or licence from government.
Meanwhile, the court has started hearing the case of the impounded trucks in which seven suspects were brought for plea, on a charge of attempting to export a special crop contrary to Section 3 of the Special Crops Act.
During the appearance, all the seven suspects [truck drivers] denied the charge, thus forcing the state to parade five witnesses to prove its case against them.
Some of the drivers claimed to have possessed clearance orders from the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) Chitimba Office, and that were headed for Chitipa.
But the state through its witnesses ruled out the arguments, saying the two districts of Chitipa and Karonga, through which the maize is being smuggled, have a small market and an almost negligible demand for the grain as most of the maize fields are nearing maturity.
Chief Resident Magistrate for the Norther Region, Texious Masoamphambe, adjourned the case to April 10, for ruling and asked both the defence and the state to file their submissions by April 4.
“I further order the suspects to be in police custody and the trucks under police guard throughout the trial,” ruled Masoamphambe, after noting anomalies in the way the police were handling the suspects, some of who came for hearing from their respective homes.
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