Chaponda, Tayub released on bail

Former Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Dr. George Chaponda and businessman Rashid Tayub have been granted bail by the Blantyre Magistrate’s Court.

The two were arrested on Wednesday by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) over the roles in the dubious procurement and importation of maize from Zambia in an attempt to fight off a food shortage.

The court ordered the two to provide K200, 000 bond, two sureties bonded at K2 million each before the release.

The Court also ordered to surrender their traveling documents and report to ACB once a fortnight.

Chaponda, a former diplomat and lawyer, was sacked in February after he was implicated in a deal to import $35 million worth of maize from neighboring Zambia.

At the time, 8 million people in Malawi, nearly half the population, faced severe food shortages caused by drought.

Chaponda was placed under investigation following a recommendation by a presidential inquiry into the procurement deal. The inquiry found he had flouted procedures by hiring a private broker to import the maize, which is the main staple of Malawi.