Selex submitted bid late, Dora tells tribunal

Selex submitted bid late, Dora tells tribunal
Written by Maluba Jere
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 4:52:06 PM

COMMUNICATIONS and transport minister Dora Siliya yesterday told the judge Dennis Chirwa Tribunal that Selex Sistemi Integrati submitted the bid for the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of radars late.

Siliya said this when she opened her defence in a matter where former communications and transport minister William Harrington and ten civil society organisations had petitioned Chief Justice Ernest Sakala to set up a tribunal to probe her alleged corruption and abuse of office.

During examination in chief led by her lawyer Eric Silwamba, Siliya told the tribunal that as far as she was concerned, Selex, a company from Italy, put in their bid, though late.

This was after tribunal chairperson judge Chirwa asked Siliya whether she made inquiries from her staff to find out if Selex had participated in the tender.

Siliya responded in the affirmative, saying she was only informed after a team from Selex went to see her at her office.

She explained that she got involved in the process after receiving an anonymous letter from a concerned taxpayer who expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the whole process.

"...I was not aware but they came to complain and I directed them to the permanent secretary and the head of procurement," Siliya said. "Officials told me that Selex wanted to be considered because they had brought the documents. So as far as I was aware, Selex did bid."

Siliya told the tribunal that the process of procuring the radar system for Lusaka and Livingstone international airports began before she became minister in that particular ministry.

She said according to a letter dated April 10, 2008, Ministry of Communications and Transport permanent secretary Mukuka Zimba wrote to Secretary to the Cabinet and the finance minister recommending that the radar equipment be obtained from Selex through single sourcing.

Siliya said in that same letter, Zimba stated that if competitive bidding was used in the procurement of radars, it would not come by 2011.

She told the tribunal that although the treasury supported in principle the acquisition of the procurement of radar equipment, it did not indicate to the ministry how much money had been reserved for the process.

Siliya explained that when she received a letter from a concerned taxpayer, who raised some concerns on the radar procurement process, she immediately called for the permanent secretary [Dr Eustern Mambwe] but she was informed by his secretary that he was out of town.

She said she was quite concerned about the allegations because she had been receiving a lot of information from within the ministry that there was something going on as far as the radar tender was concerned.

"I specifically asked Mr [Isaac] Mukupa on the accusations in the letter and he actually expressed shock that somebody knew about this certificate which he said to me that it had just been delivered to his office if I recall the previous day," Siliya said. "And again, I told him that people within the ministry had been coming to my office to make the allegations pertaining to the tender of the radar and that how this letter from the concerned taxpayer was confirming to me as the minister that certain people felt there was something wrong, whether true or not."

Siliya said she made an effort to meet with Dr Mambwe on the matter but that the permanent secretary was either out of town and never got back to her.

She said the ongoing tender for radars was initiated and recommended by a technical team from her ministry and National Airports Corporation (NAC) following an offer from Selex.

Siliya told the tribunal that when she wrote a letter to the Zambia National Tender Board (ZNTB) directing the cancellation of the award, she was not aware that the tender had already been awarded.

She also said Dr Mambwe did not brief her about the letter of notification he had written to Thales Airs Systems although she was supposed to have been informed.

Siliya told the tribunal that she then wrote to Dr Mambwe, saying the offer letter to Thales was deliberately not copied to her and demanded for an explanation on the matter.

She said Dr Mambwe did not respond directly to her on the matter and that instead, he wrote the Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Joshua Kanganja.

Hearing continues.