Saturday, November 30, 2024

$13 million ambulance scandal: high-ranking officials block arrests as questions mount

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The $13 million Constituency Development Fund (CDF) ambulance procurement scandal has deepened, with investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) allegedly concluded but arrests stalled due to interference from two ministers and a senior government lawyer.

At the center of the controversy is Surjit Shanani, an Indian national and key figure behind Ace Technologies, the company awarded the contract. The Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) Circular No. 1 of 2023 explicitly reserves CDF-funded projects for Zambian citizens, making this contract a potential violation of procurement regulations.

Of the 156 ambulances promised under the deal, only 11 have been delivered, despite the procurement being awarded over a year ago under an emergency method. The delays and lack of transparency have drawn scrutiny from the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC), which recently flagged the matter for further review.

Given the mounting evidence and procedural irregularities, calls are intensifying for a renewed investigation into Shanani and Ace Technologies, as well as the officials implicated in blocking accountability. Public trust and the integrity of government processes are now at stake.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Like i said…Garbage out Garbage in….PF Bandits vs UPND Bandits…ALL ARE CRIMINALS….PERIOD but according to Spaka stealing and being corrupt is ok for as long as you belong to UPND

  2. Why not deal with Americans, not these Vendata untouchables? On top of theft, Zambian officials offered their wives for $ex too like in Equatorial Guinea.

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