Public Accounts Committee summons Inspector General
The Public Accounts Committee (Pac) of Parliament has summoned Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service, Lexten Kachama, and Treasury officials to explain the interest of K567.8 million Pioneer Investments, a food supplier, is claiming.
The parliamentary committee suspects fraud in the claim and has, therefore, also summoned the Attorney General, National Audit Office and Pioneer Investments officials on the same.
The summoned parties are expected to appear before the committee on Saturday, January 20, according to a letter signed by Pac Chairperson, Alekeni Menyani, which has been sent to the concerned parties.
“You are ordered to come and appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts at Parliament Building, to give evidence on the legitimacy of your interest claim totalling K567,866,013.38 for the delay in payment for the supply and delivery of rations packs to Malawi Police Service,” the letter reads in part.
Pioneer Investments is claiming the payment of interest for the food supplied between January 1 2016 and June 30 2017.
The payment for the contract is said to have been done, excluding the claimed interest, which was charged because Pioneer Investments had secured bank loans to buy the items.
The food supplier insists there is nothing wrong with their interest claim but Menyani said the committee feels Auditor General Stephenson Kamphasa was forced to authorise the payment for the 500,000 units of food rations that Pioneer Investments supplied to police.
The Treasury stopped the interest payment after the initial authorisation by the Auditor General, Attorney General and the police.
Menyani emphasised that Pac is doing all the probes in ministries, divisions, corporations and other independent and semi- autonomous bodies.
“My committee will do everything possible to probe and examine all queries in Auditor General’s reports, without fear or favour,” Menyani said.
Kachama is on record to have said the calculations of the claim that the food supplier made were verified and are correct.
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