Minister of Agriculture and leader of the House, Dr George Chaponda entered defence against claims that seven ministers, including himself, have been implicated in the suspected K577 billion Cashgate in the forensic audit conducted by RSM Risk Assurance LLP of the UK covering 2009 to 2014 .
Chaponda: There is a vandetta
The civil society reacted tot he news of Ministers being on the ‘list of shame’ by calling on President Peter Mutharika to walk the talk on one of the pillars of national development – integrity – by sacking the rotten seven ministers.
“The seven and many others that might follow have in real sense defied your appeal for patriotism, hard work and integrity,” reads the petition to Mutharika.
But Chaponda defended the allegations involving the ministers in the House, saying the opposition lawmakers including MP for Lilongwe South, Vitus Dzoole Mwale, who are pushing for naming and shaming the ministers have “some vendetta” against some of the ministers.
Said Chaponda: “But this is not the place to display those vandettas. If he (Dzoole) likes, he can set it in different way.”
National Audit Office spokesperson Godfrey Kagwamminga said in accordance with the Public Audit Act, the audit report by RSM Risk Assurance LLP has been submitted to Parliament and shall be referred to Public Accounts Committee for further scrutiny.
PAC VICE chairperson Kamlepo Kalua (Rumphi East MP – PP) said the committee met the Auditor General Stephenson Kamphasa at Parliament Buildings and he has been summoned to brief them on the report.
“We want the Auditor General to give us all the relevant information,” said Kalua.
He said the report which has been sent to parliament “does not have files.”
House will rise Friday
Meanwhile, Parliament which was supposed to rise on Frday has been extended to next week after Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya announced that there is still more business for lawmakers to discuss such as Water Bill, Money Bill, Access to Information Bill and Land Bill.
Members of Parliament (MPs) have been meeting to consider the 2016/17 National Budget in Lilongwe from May 20 2016. This sitting was expected to run for eight weeks.
The 2016/17 National Budget which Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe presented to the House on May 27 was already passed.
Leader of the House George Chaponda proposed through a motion to extend the current meeting to next week and the motion was agreed by the whole House.
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i knew it kuti Chaponda azapezeka nawo mgulu la mbava lo wina ndi Henry Mussa ndi Patricia Kaliati..amangidwe basi anthu akubawa.mxiiiii
BEHIND every thief lies guilty conscience…………………i wonder y sb is grippling with gulty conscience in an obvious pulculty…………………
Is he defending anything? He is not denying. Rather just attacking some concerned fella. When I saw the headline I thought I could read some tangible defense. But gosh! What else would a thief say!
Nthawi ya campaign mu 2014, a Peter Muthalika ndi Goodall Gondwe makosana osatha kuyankhula pamisonkhano ya ndale ankatha kuyankhula pa nkhani ya PP Cashgate koma pano poti DPP yikukhuzidwa mu Cashgate mo pakamwa pasekedwanso.
Bwana Chaponda apa tikuti yalowa game zikwanje. The best thing you can do is force the government to release the whole audit report as Mayi Mtila did and from there will make a conclusion that you are an innocent man and people like Zoole Mwale are just jealousy of you. After all you worked with UN for many years