Corruption dossier out

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 10:54:32 +0000

A dossier detailing corruption in the Government has been compiled and will soon be released for public scrutiny, opposition UPND has announced.

Political advisor to UPND president Hakainde Hichilema, Douglas Syakalima said that his party had a dossier on corruption activities by some senior Cabinet ministers which it intended to release to the public soon.

The fact that the Government was being taken to court for subverting tender procedures in the award of major contracts was indicative of the levels of corruption to which the country had descended.

The Government has been taken to court over the award of the oil and fertiliser contract in which bidders have challenged the manner in which the contracts have been  awarded outside the prescribed  tender procedures.

Mr Syakalima said it was time Government checked and stopped corruption practices or risk the ignominy of prosecution and apologising to the nation when they leave office in 2016.

Mr. Syakalima said it was highly embarrassing that a private company could drag government to court on allegation of corruption in the manner it was handling tender issues.

“It is shocking to know how much corrupt this government has become. The PF requires repentance We have complied a dossier on PF corruption and we will soon make it public,” he said.

He said for now the PF government should repent from the corruption acts that has seen them being dragged to court by private companies for rampant corruption in service delivery.

The former UPND Siavonga Member of Parliament was reacting to  reported corruption perception in the MMD and the subsquent apology made last week by its leader Dr. Nevers Mumba.

Mr. Syakalima said the PF should not question the MMD why it apologised, but instead should take that as an opportunity to do things differently.

Mr. Syakalima said the PF government was a corrupt regime as evidenced by private companies dragging the government to court over claims of corruption in the manner they handled the bidding and awarding of contract of farming implements.

“The PF should not preoccupy itself to questioning the MMD leadership why it apologised. It is not their mandate to do that. I advise them to address the corruption in government involving the procurement, supply, and delivery of oil, road construction, where we have many PF cadres bidding for tenders and registering companies in order to get tenders from government,

“ Let them address the open corruption which has seen them being dragged to court and stop wasting time on the MMD,” said Mr. Syakalima.