Maravi

Muntanga calls for action on RDA corruption report

Muntanga calls for action on RDA corruption report
By George Zulu
Sun 06 June 2010, 04:00 CAT

KALOMO Central UPND member of parliament Request Muntanga has warned that government’s failure to act on the Auditor General’s report over the misuse of funds by the Road Development Agency RDA has created a picture that Zambians are very corrupt.

In an interview, Muntanga said the picture government was painting to the outside world for failing to punish those abusing donor funds was that Zambians were totally corrupt.

“If we take action, we are showing that there is someone answerable for whatever they are doing. The only problem I get concerned about Zambia is that certain things are revealed and we start having excuses for not taking action or we start supporting this person defending the other that is not what is good, hence the people supporting us will not take us serious. They will even stop funding us, because we are corrupt as a country,” Muntanga said.

He said what was good for the government was to take action on the Auditor General’s report on the RDA revelation because it revealed glaring abuse of donor funds meant for road rehabilitation.

“What is good is that they must take action, the Auditor General has revealed a lot of glaring misapplication and theft of public funds, the report has said this is wrong and the one who is guilty let him be punished straightforward like that. The problem we have is we apply rules to certain people…that is the problem,” he said.

Muntanga said any person who has stolen or misappropriated funds must be arrested and prosecuted, adding that no excuses should be entertained for not acting.

“There should be no excuses at all, theft is theft, no sacred cows in any misapplication of funds. Out of that money we hear stories that no the money was given to this except certain rules were not followed and certain financial regulations were not followed that is not the point; if regulations were not followed and there is theft, arrest them. They have gone on doing things that are out of corruption as we know that sometimes certain dubious contractors are contracted to do useless jobs…those in government must know that that is theft. So the question of misuse is the question of theft and they must be arrested therefore in my own view to just close RDA and wash down the wrongs under the bridge because now money is missing is not the best thing to do,” said Muntanga.

Labels: AUDITOR GENERAL, CORRUPTION, RDA, REQUEST MUNTANGA

posted by MrK @ 7:26 PM