Maravi

TIZ asks ACC to probe Kaande

TIZ asks ACC to probe Kaande
Written by Patson Chilemba and Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday, February 26, 2009 8:35:00 AM

TIZ president Reuben Lifuka yesterday disclosed that the organisation was aware of the happenings in the Ministry of Home Affairs and had earlier asked the ACC to probe the procurement of goods and claims for payment by 55 companies, including some listed by Jeff Kaande.

And the Patriotic Front (PF) has formally complained to acting Police Inspector General Francis Kabonde requesting police to institute investigations against MMD national secretary Kaande, sports permanent secretary Susan Sikaneta, home affairs principle accountant Evans Katuta and information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha.

Lifuka stated that the information received by Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) which was passed on to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) in January showed that some of the companies that had been receiving payments for supply of goods especially foodstuffs were non-existent, while others belonged to senior government officials and politicians.

"ACC has yet to inform us of the outcome of their investigation and we can only hope that this investigation can be expedited. Secondly, we demand that initially a forensic audit be conducted in the Ministry of Home Affairs by independent Auditors working in conjunction with the Auditor General's Office. Thirdly, we challenge MMD to disclose their sources of funding and avail themselves to auditing of these resources," Lifuka stated.

"It is incumbent upon MMD to state its official position on this matter and show commitment to the values of transparency and accountability by allowing their finances to be audited. Additionally, all these companies should be suspended in the short term from dealing with the Ministry of Home Affairs until the completion of this forensic audit."

Lifuka stated that TIZ had previously warned that unregulated political financing would become a nadir of the whole fight against corruption.

He stated that unregulated political financing encouraged lack of accountability and transparency in most political parties in Zambia.

"It is sad that most members of political parties do not even know the crookedness that their leaders go through to obtain resources which they splash around to win their political support," Lifuka stated. "It is time that the Zambian people and voters became alert and realised that a corrupt and crooked political leader is a future corrupt and crooked government official."

Lifuka stated that revelations concerning the involvement of the ruling party in the management of public affairs were not surprising.

He stated that MMD has been benefiting covertly from public finances despite the lofty pronouncements made by its leadership that the party has not been dipping into public coffers.

Lifuka stated that TIZ had previously received complaints from public servants who were aware of the immense pressure being exerted on various controlling officers to indirectly or directly make financial contributions to the activities of MMD.

He stated that the question that needed to be asked was where Kaande got the authority to request Sikaneta to assist companies that had pledged to support MMD and how long the practice had been going on.

"What we also find annoying and frustrating at the same time, is the fact the permanent secretary at the time Ambassador Susan Sikaneta agreed to be part of this unfortunate handiwork of abuse of public resources by the MMD," Lifuka stated. "It also raises questions on the professional ethics of the accountants and internal auditors in the Ministry of Home Affairs who allowed such requests to be funded."

Lifuka stated that it beats logic to imagine that the MMD secretariat had now become debt collectors and this was not an acceptable way of doing things because it meant that companies were being coerced to make pledges of support even against their will.

He stated that this fitted perfectly the description of political corruption where the party used its privileged position to extract undue advantage from companies

"Surely, how do we hope to eradicate corruption and money laundering if the MMD is at the epicentre of this malaise?" Lifuka asked.

And in a letter dated February 24, 2009 and addressed to Kabonde, PF chairman for national security Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Chanda asked police to institute investigations to ensure that all the culprits were answerable under the law without exception.

"In The Post newspaper edition dated Tuesday 24th February 2009, under the headline 'MMD Asks Government to Pay K1 billion To Its Supporters' The Post reports that the amount of some of the payments made to government suppliers were allegedly inflated by one Jeff Kaande to the benefit of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD)," Col Chanda stated. "The Post has exhibited in the said article relevant internal correspondence over this matter which is of public interest."

Col Chanda stated that those to be investigated should include the directors of the companies concerned, Kaande, former home affairs and now sports permanent secretary Susan Sikaneta, Katuta and Lt Gen Shikapwasha.

He charged that Lt Gen Shikapwasha must be aware of the illegal dealings of thievery against the people of Zambia

"In view of the above, this letter constitutes a formal complaint to your office. I have enclosed the relevant Post Newspaper article for your easy reference," stated Col Chanda.

Meanwhile, MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga yesterday answered angrily when he was asked to comment on Kaande's alleged corruption.

Mabenga said questioning him over the matter amounted to insinuating that he was not thinking.

"Now Patson Chilemba, number one, we have eyes to read with; number two, we have ears to hear with; and number three, we have brains to think with. We know what we are doing," Mabenga said angrily. "I know what I'm doing. I am older than you and number two, I'm more educated than you. You have never run a party at the highest level but I have."

According to correspondence obtained by The Post, Kaande in November last year requested Sikaneta to pay over K1 billion to seven food suppliers that pledged financial support to the ruling party.

The documents revealed that the figures for Liki Enterprise on Kaande's list was inflated by over K380 million while two other suppliers were not owed anything by the Ministry of Home Affairs although Kaande stated that they were owed K50 million each.

In his letter dated 11th November 2008 to Sikaneta on the MMD letterhead, Kaande requested her to facilitate the payments according to what they had discussed earlier.

"List of companies pledging to support the party," read Kaande's letter in part. "Please consider assisting the companies below as discussed: - (1) Sunlight Estates - 300,000,000 (2) Dakwa General Dealers- 291,000,000 (3) Mavin Marketing - 130,000,000 (4) Miyele Enterprise - 95,000,000 (5) Liki Enterprise-400,000,000 (6) Bangosho Enterprise-50,000,000 (7) Mark Marketing-50,000,000. Total 1,025,000,000."

When contacted for comment on Monday, Sikaneta confirmed having received Kaande's letter but referred all queries to the current permanent secretary because she was no longer in charge at Ministry of Home Affairs.

Labels: ACC, JEFF KANDE, TIZ

posted by MrK @ 8:35 AM