By Chisomo Phiri

Former National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) eputy Chief Executive Officer Gerald Viola and his co-accused Chrispin Chingola can now have all reasons to smile after court suspend their three year sentence in connection to the 3.3 billion maize deal at National Food Reserve Agency ( NFRA).

Principal Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba handed the sentence suspension on Monday morning after convicting the two on Monday last week.

According to the presiding Magistrate, he took into consideration the fact that the convicts are first offenders and that they did not get any economic benefit from the crime.

He said the sentence suspension is strict on several conditions that include not to commit any offence of dishonesty within that period.

The court found Viola guilty on first charge of misuse of office while his co-convict, businessperson Chrispin Chingola, was found guilty on the count of influencing a public officer to misuse a public office.

The two were arrested by the ACB in October 2020 for unilaterally issuing to Missies Trading a Local Purchasing Order (LPO) number 6750 to supply 10 000 metric tonnes of maize to NFRA worth K3.3 billion for the business interest of Chingola of the said Missies Trading Company.