Maravi

(ZIMPAPERS) Govt, Harare council clash over auditors

Govt, Harare council clash over auditors
Monday, 21 March 2011 01:26 Local News
By Charlotte Musarurwa

THE settling of US$42 000 in fees owed to auditors who investigated two councillors on allegations of making false fuel claims worth about US$600 has caused a serious clash between the Government and the Harare City Council.

Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo, who ordered the probe, insists that the council should settle the auditors’ bill.
However, Harare Mayor Mr Muchadeyi Masunda is adamant that the city cannot bear costs for an investigation it did not order and was not communicated to it and whose outcome it was also not aware of.

Minister Chombo appointed the probe team led by Mr Christopher Shumba to investigate councillors Casper Takura and Warship Dumba for allegedly making false fuel claims worth about US$600. The auditors invoiced the city US$42 000 after the investigation.

Minister Chombo last week said it was the role of the city council to pay for the “mischievous acts of the culprits”.

“It is not the role of the ministry to pay the investigating team. The very same council where the culprits work should pay for the auditors.

“When such cases are brought to me as allegations, I set up a team to investigate the cases.”

Minister Chombo added that it was a statutory requirement that the council should pay for such audits.

“When such cases are concluded, I write a letter to the mayor and to the town clerk informing them about the charges,” he said.

“My role is to assess the bill brought by the investigators before forwarding it to the city council. According to the Urban Councils Act, council is supposed to pay.
“We are compelled by the law in everything we do.”

But Mr Masunda told a recent full council meeting that the council would resist footing that bill.

“We do not know how we come in because we did not receive any report pertaining to the investigations or the outcome of the meetings,” he said.

“How do they expect us to pay such an amount?”

The investigators concluded that the two councillors had a case to answer. - The Sunday Mail

Labels: HARARE CITY COUNCIL, IGNATIUS CHOMBO, MDC CORRUPTION, MUCHADEYI MASUNDA

posted by MrK @ 3:46 AM