Sinkamba engages European Partners Against Corruption over fire engines

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 13:59:54 +0000

By KELVIN SIABANA

THE Green Party says the transaction involving the procurement of 42 fire engines worth US$ 42million is highly suspicious and has now engaged the President of European Partners Against Corruption/European Contact-point Network against Corruption (EPAC/EACN) secretariat in Europe for answers.

Party president Peter Sinkamba said the tender was awarded to a local company, called Grand View International Limited while the supplier of the trucks was an unknown Scania manufacturer of Spain.

 “This procurement has stirred controversy among Zambians with many demanding answers alleging the amount is outrageous,” Mr Sinkamba said.

Mr Sinkamba said the Zambians suspect active or passive corruption in this transaction and the government, though the Local government minister, argued government had received value for money engines and the supplier has so far delivered 32 trucks.

“We as the Green Party we have written  a letter of request to  the President of European Partners Against Corruption/European contact-point network against corruption (EPAC/EACN) secretariat in Europe  over a controversial procurement of fire tenders from the EU  by the Zambian government,

“We understand that EPAC is an independent, informal network bringing together more than 60 anti-corruption authorities and police oversight bodies from Council of Europe Member Countries,  we also  understand that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) is also a member,” said Mr Sinkamba.

The opposition party was seeking assistance from   the European network to establish whether or not active or passive corruption did take place in respect of a private sector transaction involving an EU domiciled supplier in Spain and a third party procurement company Grand View International Limited which is based in Zambia.

President Lungu has called for the investigation of the deal and he has urged those with useful information to submit such to the investigations wings to help scrutinize the matter further.

Mr Sinkamba said it was against that call by the President that had prompted his party to seek the services of the EU network to ensure that the procurement was carried out in an independent, impartial, legitimate, accountable and transparent manner.