Cops probe Kunda over K814bn

COMMENT - K814 billion is $163 million. These smaller amounts add up to significant amounts.

Cops probe Kunda over K814bn
By Mwala Kalaluka
Mon 23 Jan. 2012, 12:58 CAT

GEORGE Kunda is being investigated over the previous government's K814 billion extravagant expenditure in 2010, sources have revealed. A combined team of investigators probing the plunder of national resources in the Rupiah Banda administration last week summoned Kunda, the former Republican vice-president.

But Kunda described the interrogations he underwent before the combined team of investigators in Lusaka last Wednesday and Thursday as "a discussion of matters of mutual interest".

Highly-placed sources within the investigative team, comprising officers from the Drug Enforcement Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission and Zambia Police told The Post yesterday that Kunda was called to explain the MMD's K814 billion excess expenditure as revealed in the Auditor General's report for 2010.

"They just called him to explain certain matters over the funds, which were allegedly misapplied," the source said. "The investigators are saying that he was the vice-president at the time the funds went missing."

According to Auditor General public relations officer Ellen Chikale, the 2010 Auditor General's report notes that the MMD government had excess expenditure to the tune of K814 billion by December 2010.

The latest Auditor General's report also reveals that over K200 billion was misappropriated while K13 billion was lost in unretired imprest and delayed banking.

She stated in a press release that a further K10 billion went to irregular payments while K4 billion went to unauthorised expenditure during the period under review.

Chikale stated that a comparison of the irregularities with the 2009 report revealed a sharp increase in excess expenditure from K87 billion to K814 billion.

She stated that during the same period, the amount that was misappropriated was K220 billion compared to K95 billion in 2009.

Chikale said unretired imprest rose from K25 billion in 2009 to K77 billion in 2010. When he was asked to explain his being summoned before the combined probe team on Thursday last week, Kunda, who was in the company of his lawyer Sunday Nkonde replied: "No, nothing, we were just discussing matters of mutual interest."

Apart from being MMD parliamentarian for Muchinga Constituency in Serenje district, Kunda, 55, is also the former ruling party's legal committee chairperson and is a legal practitioner with George Kunda and Company.