The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) is investigating Agriculture Minister Gwanda Chakuamba over the purchase of a K15 million vehicle. ACB public relations officer Egrita Ndala said on Monday in a questionnaire response that in view of the allegations that have been levelled against the minister, the bureau would like to establish the truth

“The bureau is investigating the purchase of a K15m vehicle bought by the Ministry of Agriculture, Honourable Gwanda Chakuamba. The bureau would like to establish whether or not the minister abused his office for the ministry to buy him the vehicle in view of the allegations that have been made,” said Ndala.

Chakuamba has come under fire for purchasing an expensive car at a time when the country was facing severe food shortage. Malawi Congress Party president John Tembo, during the current sitting of Parliament, accused Gwanda of using relief funds to purchase the car and challenged Chakuamba to refute the claims. In his response, Chakuamba accepted to have used Drought Relief Funds to purchase the vehicle, boasting that his taste for expensive cars like BMWs dates back to the reign of the late former head of state Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

But the development did not go down well with the MCP and UDF MPs who called for an investigation into the matter. Balaka North MP Lucius Banda (UDF) is on record to have said the car was stolen from South Africa and the price was exaggerated. Chakuamba could not be reached on Monday as his mobile phone was out of range.