IF DICK IS OUT, FORGET ABOUT CLEAN AUDIT- KAFWAYA.
….says powers that be are trying to get rid of the Auditor General because they do not want to be audited for 2022.
Lusaka………23rd March, 2023 [Smart Eagles]
It is rubbish calling for the resignation of the Auditor General, Lunte Member of Parliament Mutotwe Kafwaya has said.
His remarks come in the wake of recent calls by some sectors of society among them Transparency International Zambia that Dr Sichembe must vacate his position following his arrest by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The PF presidential hopeful said the grounds to call for his resignation are not justifiable because the Auditor General has not committed a crime.
He said the arrest of the Auditor General was very unfortunate because it borders on allowances.
He said there is documented evidence that the legislative arm approved the allowances.
“Then they go and blow the figure in public, K1 billion . The amount is standing at K70 million, how can that be K1 billion. Allowances paid by the competent offices. If suddenly, you have decided these were illegal allowances, arrest the Auditor General and all those who got the allowances,” he said
And Hon Kafwaya has confidently stated that Zambians must forget about a credible AUDIT report if the Auditor General Dr. Dick Sichembe is forced out of his office.
He said some people want to justify the statements by some Senior UPND Members that this year’s Audit will be clean.
Hon Kafwaya said powers that be are trying to get rid of the Auditor General because they do not want to be audited for 2022.
He said this is why PS Agriculture has refused to release documents to the Auditor General.
“Once DICK is out of that office Forget about a credible Audit report. At the moment it is compromised because the current Auditor General will not get documents, Ps has refused to release the audits. They want to remove him and bring in people who will be serving UPND interest, it is about producing a report perceived to be clean. Because of this pressure, they want to get rid of the AG so that they can be perceived to be clean,” he said.
Even when I heard TIZ say he should resign, they are just part of that cartel working behind the President …. those who do not want to be audited like the PS who is refusing to release documents , unethical people who want to get those positions and those who colluded with the PS in alleged corruption of procuring fertilizer,” he said
He said Dr Sichembe’s desire to Audit High risk areas in his service to the nation like the procurement of Fertilizer has landed him in trouble.
He said under normal circumstances, the action by the Permanent Secretary calls for instant dismissal.
Hon Kafwaya has since called upon President Hakainde Hichilema to stop the rot and save the country’s integrity.
“Zambians must be worried of how these monies are being used. Because you will never get a clear view of what transpired during the period under review as long as you remove an Auditor who is objective and passionate about what he does and then you replace that Auditor with the person who is part of the confusion,” he said.