Africa-Press – Malawi. The country’s Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda has clarified that criminal investigations against Paramount Holdings are still on-going relating to forgery of documents which the accused company used to tender for business of supplying motorcycles.
A few years ago, Capital Hill suspended Paramount Holdings and other companies following serious allegations of various procurement-related crimes that the companies committed.
But in a letter dated January 27, 2023 which Maravi Post has seen and is addressed to Malawi’s Deputy Ambassador to Japan Joseph Chikwemba, Chakaka write: “Although the suspension of Paramount Holdings Limited was lifted, investigations that led to the suspension of Paramount Holdings Limited are still on-going.”
“The results of the investigations would lead to debarment hearing. If found guilty, Paramount Holdings may be debarred from participating in public procurement in Malawi. Further, although the suspension was lifted, Paramount Holdings Limited has not yet been cleared of any wrong doing in respect of allegations of procurement related malpractices against Paramount Holdings Limited,” Chakaka-Nyirenda is quoted in the letter titled “Status of Paramount Holdings in Malawi.”
Further, Chakaka-Nyirenda insists in the letter that he is also aware of the criminal investigations against Paramount Holdings Limited, stating that the investigations have been conducted by the Malawi PoliceService.
“They relate to forgery of documents which Paramount Holdings Limited used to tender for the business of supplying motorcycles to an agency of the Malawi Govemment. I have been informed that the case is ready for trial. A guilty finding against Paramount Holdings Limited may also affect Paramount HoldingsLimited’s eligibility to participate in public procurement,” he says.
The AG was responding to a letter by Chikwemba, dated January 24, 2024, in which the embassy was inquiring the status of Paramount Holdings in Malawi as the accused company still operating in Malawi, purporting as a sole distributor for Japanese-based Yamaha Motor Company.
This week, local media also reported that Paramount Holdings has been appointed by Yamaha Motor Company as the only recognised distributor for the Asian giant company “after a rigorous process.”
But Maravi Post has also seen a thread of correspondences between Malawi Police, Embassy of Republic of Malawi in Japan, Attorney General’s office, as well as Yamaha Motors company in Malawi which are all discrediting Paramount Holdings Managing Director Mr. Prakashu Ghedia, and accusing him of forging and uttering false document purportedly written by Yamaha Motor and certifying Paramount as the sole distributor in Malawi.
“The mission [Malawi Embassy in Tokyo] wishes to report that Mr. Akira Sakaki of Yamaha Motor Co. LTD who is in charge of Malawi, has confirmed that neither Yamaha Motor Headquarters nor Yamaha Distributors South Africa recognises the two dealership letters possessed by Mr. Prakashu Ghedia as Yamaha’s official documents.
“Moreover, Yamaha distributors South Africa has no authority to appoint Yamaha dealer of Yamaha motorcycles in Malawi. Mr. Sakaki further verified Yamaha Motor has only one distributor in Malawi-Stansfield Motors Limited,” reads one of the correspondences.
Paramount Holdings, has been embroiled in flurry of scams in Malawi involving billions of taxpayers’ money. In 2018 and 2019, the local media was awash with stories that Ministry of Health (MoH) officials went behind the ACB to issue a MWK4 billion Ambulance contract to Paramount Holdings despite enforcing institutions raising concerns.
The Government Contracting Unit (GCU) raised concerns with legal compliance issues surrounding the Paramount contract raised advised the MoH to consult the Attorney General before issuing the contract.
But the MoH proceeded to award Paramount contract without regard of procurement procedures. GCU has mandate to vet high value government contracts before they are awarded. At some point, government officials went on a tour of countries to inspect ambulances – under the sponsorship of Paramount Holdings Limited.
However, the sponsoring of the trips made the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) to raise eyebrows, describing the move as a “conflict of interest.”
In June 2021, local firms ganged up against Asian owned Paramount Holdings, accusing the company of monopolising business of supplying items to Capital Hill by influencing government officials with monetary inducements.
Upon taking over the country’s presidency, Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera’s ordered that priority in the awarding of contracts must be given to indigenous businesses.
The directive, however, is still under intense debate as foreigners are still claiming huge chunks of business deals, at the expense of local businesses.
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