Maravi

Yusuf Badat testifies in Katele's corruption case

Yusuf Badat testifies in Katele's corruption case
By Noel Sichalwe
Wednesday June 11, 2008 [04:00]

FORMER deputy works and supply minister Dr Yusuf Badat yesterday said the contract that was signed to erect a steel fence at the Lusaka High Court and Supreme Court was irregular. This is a matter where MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba is jointly charged with former finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda, former secretaries to the Treasury Professor Benjamin Mweene and Boniface Nonde, and former chief economist Bede Mpande.

Others are former Access Finance Services Limited directors Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu. The eight are charged with corruption.

Badat, 48 recalled that when he was deputy minister, his officials told him that there were construction works going on at High Court and Supreme Court premises.
He said the officials told him that the construction works had no blessings of the Ministry of Works and Supply.
He said he then rang the Judiciary and talked to then chief administrator Philip Musonda who is now High Court judge.

Badat said he inquired about the procedure used to erect the fence as to whether funding was provided for in the yellow book, the plans were drawn by the ministry, tender procedures were followed and which ministry officials were supervising the works.
He said Musonda only told him that it was a special project but that he personally insisted his ministry was the custodian of all government properties in Zambia.
Badat said he informed Musonda that he had inspected construction works at Nkwazi House and Government House but that Musonda still refused to tell him the nature of the project.

He said he was emotional and disappointed at the conduct of Judiciary officials who were supposed to be the beacon of dispensing justice and yet, they were conducting projects without the blessings of his ministry.
Badat said he then informed his then minister Godden Mandandi who promised to investigate the matter.

He said construction works continued but that there was a danger to motorists, especially on curves.

Badat said he only came to learn about the background of the project in 2006 when the matter was in the media.

In cross-examination by lawyer Nicholas Chanda, Badat said the construction of the fence was irregular because his ministry was not involved.
“Procedurally, legally and morally, it was not correct,” he said. “This was a defective arrangement because it did not involve the Ministry of Works and Supply.”
He said the issue of the Office of the President having engaged the contractors was never brought to his attention.

Answering more questions from Professor Patrick Mvunga, Badat said he did not know anything about the contract to construct a fence and had no knowledge of any corruption in the contract.

In re-examination by Mutembo Nchito, Badat said the contract was never signed by the Office of the President as a party. He said the Ministry of Works and Supply was involved in planning, monitoring and evaluation of the contracts and that the contract regarding the fence at the High Court was highly defective.

And Bank of Zambia senior supervisor for non-banking institutions Joseph Munyoro narrated how he inspected Access Financial Services Limited (AFSL) and Access Leasing Company (ALC) to establish whether they conducted their business in compliance with the Banking and Financial Services Act.

Munyoro said after the inspection, he concluded that AFSL and ALC did not comply with the Act and that their financial records did not have sufficient details to enable the Bank of Zambia understand their transactions.
Trial continues tomorrow.

Labels: COURTS, KATELE KALUMBA, YUSUF BADAT

posted by MrK @ 5:31 AM