Works PS denies keeping money raised from sale of seized property

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Works PS denies keeping money raised from sale of seized property

Works PS denies keeping money raised from sale of seized property
By Noel Sichalwe
Sunday August 10, 2008 [04:01]

WORKS and supply permanent secretary Colonel Bizwayo Nkunika has denied that his ministry is keeping some money that was raised from the auction sale of some property recovered by the Task Force from suspected plunderers. Col Nkunika was reacting to Task Force chairman Max Nkole who on Thursday last week said the Ministry of Works and Supplying has not yet transferred the money realized from the sale of plundered goods to the Recovery Account at Bank of Zambia (BoZ).

Col Nkunika said the Ministry of Works and Supply merely provided shelter for the vehicles and motorized boats that were auctioned after being recovered by the Task Force.

"I am a custodian of some mobile properties which were seized by the Task Force," he said. "The Ministry of Finance are the ones who appoint a board to sell or dispose of properties. The first sale was an auction sale conducted by the Ministry of Finance. The second sale was an internal sale within government to finish off those that remained. That too was conducted by Ministry of Finance. My ministry doesn't handle any Task Force money."

Col Nkunika also said Nkole has not written to him requesting the transfer of funds from his Ministry to the Recovery Account at BoZ.

"I have not yet received a letter from Mr Nkole claiming the money that was raised from the sale of the vehicles and boats," he said.

On Thursday last week, Nkole said the Task Force currently had about K14 billion in the Recovery Account at Bank of Zambia (BoZ) but that some of the monies were held by Ministry of Works and Supply after auctioning some properties.

Nkole said the Task Force on Corruption has since written to the Ministry of Works and Supply to transfer the money to the Recovery Account.

Nkole said following Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Katanga Province governor Moses Katumbi's forfeiture of assets worth about K5 billion and the US $4.4 million from former Zambia's ambassador to the US Attan Shansonga, the recovery process would continue to grow.

Labels: BIZWAYO NKUNIKA, PERMANENT SECRETARIES, TASK FORCE