Couple arrested over AIP fertilizer

Lingadzi Police Station have arrested Maxwell Piseni and his wife Jean for being found in possession of property suspected to have been unlawfully obtained contrary to Section 329 of the Penal code.

This occurred on 17th January 2021 at Msiriza.

Police received information from a well wisher that the couple, who operate a general dealer business, had been illegally buying and selling fertilizer meant to support poor families under a government scheme dubbed Affordable Input Programme (AIP).

In pursuit of this tip, police managed to arrest the suspects and recovered 25 bags of NPK and 12 bags of Urea fertilizer. The value is not yet advised.

Both admitted buying the fertilizer. The suspects said they have been buying National ID’s from the beneficiaries of the AIP whose names appeared in the government system as being those eligible to purchase the fertilizer but had no money.

When the deal is done, the couple used to send bicycle operators in different AIP selling points to buy the fertilizer using those illegally bought ID’s but at a price as was set by the government.

Eventually, the couple used to sell the fertilizer to farmers within the area at an exorbitant price. It is said that this has been the trend ever since the programme was commissioned by the authorities.

More investigations are currently underway.

Maxwell Piseni, 50, and Jean Allan Piseni, 43, both come from Chimkonda village in Traditional Authority Mpando in Ntcheu