Sat, 04 Mar 2017 10:30:56 +0000
FORMER Tourism misinster Silvya Masebo did not have powers to cancel hunting concession tenders, former vice presisdent Guy Scott has testified.
Dr Scott, 72, said from the meeting they held over the concession, they only discussed postponing or deferring the tender processes, and not cancallation.
And a former Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA (now
Department of National Parks and Wildlife) Head of Procurement has told the court that the Zambia Public Procurement Act does not allow any minister to cancel a tender process.
Dr. Scott who was called as Masebo’s second defence witness, yesterday told Magistrate Irene Wishimanga that on December 28, 2012 late president Sata phoned and asked him to coordinate (supervise) efforts Government was contemplating regarding ZAWA.
He said he later met Masebo at Government House after she went there; and that he made efforts to get then Minister of Justice Wynter Kabimba so that he could deal with legal aspects of the matter.
“We discussed various actions the minister (Masebo) was contemplating regarding hunting of wild cats (lions and leopards). The other subject was to defer or postpone the tendering process…” Dr. Scott said.
This was in a case in which Masebo has been found with a case to answer for alleged abuse of authority of office for
cancelling hunting concession tenders without following procedure. Dr. Scott said the meeting ended with authorising Masebo to issue a statement and that he later briefed Mr. Sata on the meeting’s outcome
Another defence witness Lameck Sichone said as far as the Zambia Public Procurement Act was concerned, the minister had no authority to cancel tender processes.
Mr. Sichone said this during intense grilling by prosecutors in cross-examination after he had earlier told the court that Masebo had authority to cancel the tender process as she was the appointing authority of the ZAWA management board, which was responsible for issuing hunting concession licenses.
He said ZAWA’s decision to advertise issuance of hunting concession licenses did not amount to public procurement as the latter only involved acquisition of goods and services.
Mr. Sichone said from his experience, the permanent secretary was the controlling officer and the minister only gave guidance and policy direction.
