Many Malawians have taken to social media calling for President Chakwera's government to institute an investigation into the controversial sale of presidential jet, Dassault Falcon 900EX, which many think was never sold but was clandestinely given to some foreigners who are operating it to off-set a debt we owe to them.
In reaction to a lead story 'I'm ready for jet probe-JB', which appeared in The Nation of
Flytone Simukoko said DPP (government) failed to prosecute her and he does not think Tonse government, of which she is part, will make any progress.
Although the former President claimed the jet was sold in 2013, she continued to charter and used the plane whenever she flew out on official trips. The government bought the presidential jet in 2009 under the former President, late Bingu wa Mutharika.
The Nation reported that Banda says she is not cowed by the prospect of a probe into her administration's decision to sell the presidential jet as proposed by Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of
PAC wants to conduct a public inquiry into the matter and it has since written the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the President and
PAC chairperson Shadreck Namalomba on Monday said
Banda said all people who were involved in the transaction are "alive and well" to give more details on the deal. She said such public officers include former OPC Principal Secretary (Administration) Clement Chinthu Phiri and former chief secretaries to the government--now renamed Secretary to the President and
Banda's administration argued at the time that the plane was a burden to the economy with annual running costs estimated at over K200 million.
In
He said instead the Attorney General facilitated the transfer of the funds from
He said government cash flow could not meet the demand for payment of the equipment.
Namalomba on Monday said the country was still in the dark on the sale of the jet; hence, the need to conduct a public inquiry to establish what really happened.
He said: "Malawians should know whether the presidential jet was disposed of in good faith, whether there was corruption involved or some people benefitted unfairly from the jet sale.
"If in the end some people did benefit, then they must pay back the money. If criminal merit is considered, then they must be prosecuted. That jet was a national asset."
Namalomba further said PAC was already behind schedule on the presidential jet inquiry and that as soon as OPC gives a response, the public inquiry will start.
In 2009, the Bingu wa Mutharika administration purchased the presidential jet at an estimated cost of K16 billion (
State House during Banda's time issued a statement that claims that the jet was clandestinely sold were not true.
"It is worth making a reminder that the Dr.
"Our view is that the claims that the presidential jet was never sold are motivated by a deliberate, ill-intentioned and calculated gimmick of creating a wrong suggestion that President Dr.
"With the Tri-partite elections day looming, we are convinced, the intention of those peddling these falsehoods is to mislead the public and curtail their interest in Dr.
The statement said the Bingu administration procured the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft for the use by the President of the Republic in late 2009 in
It said some challenges were allowed by that administration to unnecessarily increase the management and operating costs of the aircraft, which included use of hired pilots instead of using own trained crew members, the purchase did not include first line spare parts and equipment that are normally used by engineers and technicians as well as aircraft documentation, and the absence of a hanger to accommodate the aircraft for storage, maintenance and records.
"At the time when Dr.
"It is worth noting that from the time that the plane was bought in 2009 to
"To avoid the fines, the aircraft's battery and auxiliary power unit was being run every 10 days, the engines every 30 days and the aircraft had to be flown once in every three months for at least 30-45 minutes. This entailed hiring foreign pilots to fly the aircraft which cost in excess of 22,
"When President Dr.
"To demonstrate that the Dr.
"It is worth discussing that through a tender process, four South African based companies namely;
"
"In view of realizing that under the management contract huge amounts of money would still have to be spent every year through management fees and other maintenance expenses regardless of whether the aircraft made profit or not, government took the decision to put the plane up for outright sale," said the statement that time.
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