People’s Party MPs press governmnet on fraud report
The issue of the recently released findings by Price waterhouse Coopers(PwC) on the examination of public finances from January 2009 to December 2014 Wednesday nearly derailed scrutiny of the budget.
Rumphi East MP Kamlepo Kalua and Mzimba Hora MP, both People’s Party (PP) legislators raised the issue.
Kalua, queried why Members of Public Accounts Committee (Pac) were not yet given a copy of the findings.
After Speaker Richard Msowoya assured the MPs that it would be photocopied and circulated, Mzimba Hora MP asked why the MPs were discussing the budget when money is being stolen.
“Why should we be discussing the budget when huge amounts of money are missing?” Ngwira said.
He later stood again but the Speaker ruled him out of order for standing before he was recognised.
As Msowoya was leaving his chair, to pave way to First Deputy Speaker Esther Mcheka-Chilenje to chair Committee of Supply, Ngwira continued speaking:
“You want us to pass this budget so that you continue stealing?”
He continued speaking until Chilenje took her seat. It is after warning him that he would be sent out of the chamber that he stopped talking.
The members started scrutinising and passing allocations to government ministries and departments.
Kalua, however, raised the issue again after getting a copy of the finding:
“I have this report. But we need a genuine one brought to the House. We need the original copy of the forensic audit.”
Chilenje, however, ruled him out of order.
“This is committee of supply. That issue should be raised in the plenary. I rule you out of order,” Chilenje said.
Kalua raised the issue again after the committee of supply.
“This report that has been presented is irregular. It is not supposed to be tabled here. We want a forensic audit report with details to be tabled here. I demand the Minister of Finance to bring a forensic audit report here,” Kalua said.
Chilenje said Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe will respond today.
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