A dramatic showdown erupted at Parliament on Tuesday after MPs investigating rampant drug theft and the influx of falsified medicines ordered officials from the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) to leave a committee hearing, accusing the tax body of failing to take the inquiry seriously.
The Parliamentary Committee on Health had summoned MRA Commissioner General Felix Tambulasi to explain what measures were being put in place to stop stolen drugs and illicit pharmaceuticals entering and leaving the country through Malawi's borders.
But committee chairperson Anthony Masamba said lawmakers were left unimpressed after Tambulasi failed to appear and instead sent a delegation led by MRA Director of Finance Mufulo Chikaoneka.
Adding to the committee's frustration, the officials reportedly arrived with what Masamba described as a "shallow" four-page presentation on an issue at the centre of a growing national scandal over drug shortages.
Masamba said the committee had no choice but to send the delegation away and order the authority to return with a more comprehensive report, this time led by the commissioner general himself.
In a further rebuke, the committee ruled that MRA would have to foot the bill for attending the rescheduled hearing, arguing that the institution was responsible for failing to comply with the summons.
Speaking before the committee, Chikaoneka explained that Tambulasi was unable to attend because he was carrying out official duties outside the country.
He accepted the committee's decision and pledged that the authority would be fully prepared when it returns to face lawmakers.
Meanwhile, the pressure is continuing to mount as the committee presses ahead with its investigation into drug shortages.
Members are expected to engage officials from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) this afternoon as the high-profile probe gathers momentum.
Read the original article on Nyasa Times.
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