ACC STUCK ON CHUSHI KASANDA, ALPHA COMMODITIES FERTILIZER DEAL
By New Dawn Reporter
THE Anti – Corruption Commission (ACC) is stuck with investigations in which Minister of Information and Media, Chushi Kasanda is alleged to have influenced the awarding of fertilizer contract to Alpha Commodities Limited, a company owned by her husband Maurice Jangulo at USD 66 million.
Alpha Commodities Limited, was single sourced last year to supply fertilizer worth 66 million dollars, an action that has been condemned by stakeholders as the price is said to be higher than the rates prevailed on the market.
According to ACC Head-Corporate Communication, Timothy Moono the investigations in the Alpha Commodities fertilizer single sourced contract are still on going.
Moono was responding to a press query which was seeking to find out how far investigations involving Alpha Commodities are concerning the fertilizer contract which was awarded to the company owned by Kasanda’s husband.
The query was also seeking to established whether the Commission had also opened investigations against Chushi Kasanda for allegedly influencing the awarding of the fertilizer contract to her husband’s company.
In response, Moono said ACC is still investigating the matter concerning Alpha Commodities without giving further details on the involvement of the Minister if at all she was.
“I wish to inform you that investigations against Alpha Commodities are still ongoing,” he said.
However, ACC officers close to the investigations have revealed that the Commission is stuck on how to proceed with the probe because of interference from State House.
“As you know this matter started in 2022 and what makes it difficult for us to make headways is pressure from above, too many instructions. People above want us to clear the Minister for any wrong doing. A report was submitted to State House on the findings before even the current DPP left ACC as Director General. We had requested to interview the Minister but things were tough, there is too much threats in this matter. The file has even moved, it is no longer with people who were tasked to conduct an investigation. Bosses are the ones that are dealing with the matter. Remember that you sent the press query in December last year and the response was only given this year. No details to whether the Minister was summoned or not. No details as to why we have taken time to announce the investigation results, they want us to clear the minister and those close to the scandal,” the source said.
According to a notice of best evaluated bidders, Government had announced a list of companies and supply contract amounts intention to award the supply and delivery of about 260,000 metric tonnes of urea and compound D fertilizer to six companies for the 2022/2023 agricultural season.
Alpha Commodities was awarded a contract to supply fertilizer valued at $66 million for the 2022/2023 Agro season, despite being one of the highest bidder.
The total value of contracts awarded amounted to about $226 million.
Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) a company that supplied cheaper priced fertilizer exposed the alleged inflated prices of fertilizer by Alpha Commodities at a price of $1, 407 per tonne while the general market price was $1, 000 per tonne during the 2021/2022 agricultural season.