Former NFRA CEO Gerald Viola to be sentenced over maize supply deal this morning

Former National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Gerald Viola, is set to be sentenced by Lilongwe Principal Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba this morning.

Viola was convicted for abuse of office last week, alongside businessman Chrispin Chingola, over a dubious maize supply deal at the NFRA.

Viola was acquitted on two counts of forgery and interfering with the work of the NFRA’s internal procurement and disposal of assets committee.

Meanwhile, Chingola was convicted for influencing a public officer to misuse a public office.

The two were involved in a maize supply deal worth 3.3 billion kwacha without due diligence.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) lawyer Victor Chiwala has called for the two to be given a custodial sentence, rather than the suspended sentence proposed by defense lawyers.