GOVERNMENT has instituted investigations to establish how K1.7 billion has allegedly been misappropriated at the Lusaka City Council (LCC).
Minister of Local Government and Housing Eustarckio Kazonga said Government is seeking a comprehensive forensic audit to trace the money and the culprits involved in the alleged scam.
Dr Kazonga said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Government is concerned and disappointed with people that are misapplying public funds, adding that stringent measures have been put in place to ensure that the culprits are punished.
He said police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have moved to the LCC to investigate the matter.
“We have instituted investigations to establish how the K1.7 billion went missing at the LCC, these are funds that were meant for service delivery but now, people are misusing the funds.
“These people are frustrating Government efforts in the delivery of quality and improved service to the people,” Dr Kazonga said.
Dr Kazonga said once investigations are concluded, Government will act in accordance with the recommendations that the investigative agencies will come up with.
He said Government is concerned with the missing funds and that it wants an account of how the local authority will recover the money that was misapplied.
Dr Kazonga said Government has set up financial regulations to ensure that all local authorities spend money on service provision and less on personal emoluments.
“We have just concluded our internal audit and what I can confirm now is that K1.7 billion has been misused. We have asked the Anti-Corruption Commission and police to move in and investigate the matter because we suspect more funds have been stolen,” he said.
Dr Kazonga said his ministry is working out measures to ensure that development targets are attained in all the 72 local authorities.
The statutory audit reports for 2008/9 have revealed irregularities in the Patriotic Front-run councils.
In April, this year Mr Kazonga gave LCC, Ndola City Council and Kitwe City Council a 60-day ultimatum to prepare an action-oriented report in which the local authorities are expected to explain how they would correct the weaknesses in the management of resources.
Dr Kazonga also wanted an account of how the councils would recover the misapplied funds, set up financial regulations and ensure that they spend more funds on service provision and less on personal emoluments.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
iam happy that the mmd you have started realising that in your system there is a strong culture of corruption need a change of culture to bring sanity in the party and government if is to stand and talk about fight of corruption the party and zambia as a whole. But you always dispointing that you point at the vice but you donnot act. But bad side of it you only expose if there are opposition when there are mmd leadership you are silent. Now you are talking about local government becuase the majority at this level are oppositions. mmd be sincere in what you do and say.
Corruption has ruined nations, and the MMD stinks. Can we also be told how much Chief Thief Chiluba’s bridge to nowhere at the Showgrouds traffic lights cost us? Can we also know the truth about the City of Lusaka Merzaf Scandal, in which MMD zealot, Poisonous Snake Sata, was deeply involved?
The statutory audit reports for 2008/9 have revealed irregularities in the Patriotic Front-run councils.
I wonder if MMD run municipal/rural (since they have no city that they run) councils are better run than those that are run by PF/UPND Pact councils.
How are the Ministries run? The last I checked there was worse reports from the Auditor Generals office about the way the ministries are handling funds. Probably we have forgotten that the Embassy in DC was also mired in the same scandal. Were are the Mobile Hospitals and the money earmarked for their operations? What report do we have from Mulongoti and his Ministry?
Ba Kazonga, please analytical and look around yourselves. The problem is not with the councils. It is in your office.
MMD IS AN NATIONAL PEACE THREAT!
There is no way all this can be happening to Zambia while we have an elected govt! What happened to the Capt. Solos and General Miyandas of this world? Are we gonna stay like this while MMD destroys our families? People its do or die for mother Zambia! We need any means necessary and I repeat any means necessary without the use of force to remove MMD. ZAF we are counting on you! Arackan Barracks we are behind you! Post we are behind you! Police we are behind you! Prisons and ZNS we are rooting for you! Time has come for a do or die mission! 2011!