Musokotwane’s Defence Force Audit Explanation Scares Chishala Kateka

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Chishala kateka

MUSOKOTWANE’S DEFENCE FORCE AUDIT EXPLANATION SCARES CHISHALA KATEKA

New Heritage Party President Chishala Kateka has received Finance Minister Situbeko Musokotwane’s justification of the decision to contract private companies to audit the defense wings with great anxiety.

Kateka says the Minister’s address to parliament did not address key legal concerns, as to whether the law was complied with in the engagement of the companies.

She alleges that contracting of private companies is against The Public Finance Management Act, which requires that the Auditor General make a written request to the Head of State, to allow them contract a private company for the audit.

Kateka argues that Musokotwane did not clarify on whether the procedure was followed, further questioning whether the documents from the Auditor General to the Republican President and back to the Auditor General do exist.

She says the party’s concern are heightened by an observation that the auditors are international firms and that are subject to their internal international reviews, which could allegedly expose records of the Defense Force.

The New Heritage President therefore demands that the Minister of Finance and National Planning provide evidence to the nation that the contracts were awarded in compliance with the law.

In a Ministerial Statement he delivered to Parliament Thursday, Musokotwane said the the firms were engaged by the Ministry of Finance and National Planning in line with provisions of the The Public Finance Management Act.

He says the Office of the Auditor General was consulted to ensure that our engagement was not in conflict with the constitution and all contracts were subjected to the clearance of the Attorney General.

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