THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has reiterated that the fight against corruption is not a witch hunt.
ACC Chief Corporate Affairs Officers Timothy Moono has said that the fight against corruption is not restricted to past corruption practices, adding that repeated sentiments that it has focused its fight on past corruption and is not pursuing current acts of corruption are false.
Mt Moono said the commission further has noted that people and entities that have repeatedly pushed this position and agenda have not indicated which present acts of corruption the Commission is not investigating nor acting upon.
“They have also not indicated which cases of present corruption they have reported,but which the Commission has not acted upon. The Commission remains focused on robustly and ruthlessly fighting past, present and future corruption and reiterates the position that its fight against corruption is not restricted to corruption committed in the past,” he said.
Mr Moono has urged the public to report any acts of corruption irrespective of who the perpetrator is.
“The political persuasion or affiliation of any individual committing corruption does not matter to the Commission neither does the period when the acts were committed. ACC is on an unstoppable and relentless crusade to vigorously and ruthlessly fight past and present corruption. Anyone presently committing corruption or planning to do so will pay a very high price,” he said.
Early in the year, the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party asked the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the alleged procurement of Fertiliser worth 50 million US dollars by the government using Alpha Commodities Zambia Limited.
In a letter dated 17th February 2022 signed by the party President Kasonde Mwenda and his Secretary General Changala Siame, the party wants the ACC to expeditiously investigate the corruption allegations leveled against the company.
The EFF said that the ACC should institute investigations on the single sourcing of the fertilizer supplier as it was confirmed by Vice President Mutale Nalumango to Parliament.
Party President Kasonde Mwenda and his Secretary General Changala Siame stated that in as much as the law allows the alternative procurement procedures in special circumstances, the required conditions to allow for a single source were not met.
The duo have said the procured Fertiliser was overpriced by over 150 percent and there was alleged interference with the award of the Fertiliser supply tender by a known cabinet Minister.
“Salient issues raised in the letter to the ACC Director-General calls for investigation in The Single-Sourcing of the fertilizer supplier (Alpha Commodities Zambia Limited) as was confirmed by her honour the Vice President of Zambia Madam Mutale Nalumango to Parliament is illegal and contrary to Law as is contained in the Public Procurement Act no. 8 of 2020: Sec 54. (1) A procuring entity shall use open bidding as the preferred procurement method for the public procurement of goods, works, services and for the purposes of the Republic.”
“In as much as the Law allows for alternative procurement procedures in special circumstances; the required conditions to allow for a single source were not met as is stipulated in our law PPA 54(2), thus rendering the whole procurement process of the said fertilizer an abuse of power and thus an act of corruption.”
“The procured fertilizer was overpriced by over 150%. Current Saudi Arabia sourced fertilizer price per ton is between $400 to $550 yet the Government of Zambia procured the same at $1, 040 from the said supplier. This procurement was out of the allocated budget and illegal as it goes against the Law: Public Procurement Act no. 8 of 2020: Sec 56 (3) A person who knowingly commences or approves a procurement proceeding without ascertaining whether the procurement is within budget or funds are available for the procurement, commits an offense.”
“Alleged interference with the award of the said Fertilizer Supply tender by the Minister of Information and Media Hon. Chushi Kasanda. The Zambian citizenry wishes you to investigate and ascertain or dispel her alleged involvement. It is also alleged that the said supply of fertilizer has not been fully delivered. That too the Zambian citizens wishes you to investigate.”
This Cheecolor thinks we’re children. We appreciate that those who committed crime in the past are brought to account but for him to say no current cases of corruption have been reported is simply to describe Zambians as brainless.
Who reported the old cases being resurrected? Nobody but in their zeal to impress the new master this Moono like a mono player has gone out to fish even dry fish.
Is this man serious? It is in public domain that EFF reported the fertilizer scandal. What has ACC done since then?
It is easy. Just look at the list of people being persecuted. We do not have anyone fro the fertilizer single sourcing.
That thief is still at ACC?
Prove it’s not restricted to previous government by bringing in new cases which have since been investigated under current government.