Executives from the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration
face contempt of Parliament charges after they refused to answer questions when
they appeared before the Public Accounts Committee yesterday.
The Zinara management team that appeared before the
committee comprised acting chief executive Mathlene Mujokoro, finance director
Simon Taranhike and former human resources director, Mr Precious Murove.
The questions arose from forensic audit report produced by
Grant Thornton Chartered Accountants after being commissioned by the
Auditor-General Mrs Mildred Chiri.
Mrs Mujokoro declined to answer the questions arguing they
wanted to get a legal opinion on whether parliament was empowered to deal with
the report since clause 6:1 of the audit report states that it (the report) was
solely for the use by the AG and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
Development.
Read the section: “This report has been produced solely for
the use of the Auditor General of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Transport and
Infrastructure Development.
“It contains privileged information and should not be
quoted in whole or in part without prior written consent. This report should
therefore not be used for any other purposes.”
However, following deliberations, the chairperson of the
committee Mr Tendai Biti said the conduct by the Zinara management was
unacceptable. “We find that conduct to be totally abominable, totally
unacceptable, totally reprehensible. Parliament is an institution of the State
which in terms of section 119 of the Constitution has power of oversight over
Government, over any institution in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“This Committee has a special power that it is given under
section 299 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and it is the power to determine
how public funds are used and how revenue is collected. So we consider your
refusal to answer our questions as serious obstruction of the powers and
functions of Parliament where we are discussing matters where there is serious
evidence of abuse of public funds by Zinara.”
Mr Biti added that the committee felt that the conduct by
Zinara management was a deliberate attempt to protect corruption but more
unforgiving as an attempt to emasculate and muzzle the independence of
Parliament.
He added that they would write to the Speaker of the
National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda for action to be taken.
“Subsection 4 of the Schedule to the Privileges and
Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act states that it is a crime to refuse to
answer to any lawful and relevant question by Parliament or a Committee.
“We are therefore going to write to Parliament through the
Speaker of Parliament. We are going to make strong recommendations for
sanctions and penalties against yourself (Mrs Mujokoro), against the finance
director and the former director of administration and against Zinara,” said Mr
Biti.
The audit report revealed rampant abuse of funds at the
road administration including awarding of contracts without going to tender,
payments to companies that have not carried out any work while senior managers
received allowances not provided for in their contracts. Chronicle
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