Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) Executive Director Wesley Chibamba has expressed displeasure with the Anti-Corruption Commission’s response on calls by members of the public to investigate the forty two million United States dollar fire truck tender.
The Anti-Corruption Commission through a statement today by the Acting Spokesperson Pastor Dorothy Mwanza responded to the effect that they conducted an investigation into the tender for the 42 fire trucks which sought to find out whether appropriate tender procedures were followed, which investigation concluded that the tender procedure was followed.
The Commission went further to say people who have ‘new information’ should come forward and provide evidence so the matter can be ‘looked into further.
In a statement made available to the media today, Mr. Chibamba said the public has been calling on the law enforcement and oversight agencies to look into the matter of the fire truck saga because the deal reeks of corruption.
Mr. Chibamba said he is disappointed is with the narrow focus with which the ACC is looking at this matter, which formed the basis on which the investigation was handled.
“Corruption has got many forms and occurs in different ways, a fact with which the commission is very familiar. Tender procedures can be followed but the process may still be fraudulent or manipulated / designed to favor certain individuals”
“So looking at whether procedure was followed or not is quite simplistic. Secondly, there is what is called a ‘legal waste’ of public resources, using legal processes to waste or pilfer public resources. Which we are seeing a lot of in public procurements”
“In fact, TIZ is on record to have condemned this practice (procuring goods and services at exorbitant or non-market reflective costs) through a statement issued on 11th September 2017”
“The ACC as an oversight institution has a responsibility to make sure this does not happen. Further, the ACC acknowledges that they investigated this matter, meaning they had sufficient information to suspect malpractice in the award of the tender to Grand View International for them to institute investigations”
“If members of the public continue crying foul after they had closed the investigations, the ACC needs to realize that there is something wrong and has the responsibility to re-examine the matter, taking into account that there could be new evidence that points to collusion now that the deal has been concluded”
“We find it rather unfortunate that, like President Lungu in his statement in New York, they are putting the onus on the public to provide evidence. The public through tax payers money pay for the ACC to do their job, and thoroughly so.”
“As TIZ, we will take it upon ourselves, in public interest, to talk to people connected to the deal to gather as much evidence as possible, and including requesting for documents related to the contract from the procuring entity and the supplier and subject them to public scrutiny. This should be public information after all. If the owners of the money, the Zambian people, demand for answers, they deserve to be given answers. Accountability entails answerability. TIZ will not relent in its fight to promote good governance and zero tolerance to corruption” Mr. Chibamba said
All the fabric of public institutions has been compromised by politicians and lack of capacity building in our people. No morals, no goals, no future
Brave cowards ACC could have done better to zip it.
When PF is voted out of office, the case will restart a new as was the case with FTJ Chiluba, all current ACC officers to be investigated and prosecuted for giving the nation false information on the purchase of the 42 Fire tenders.
Corruption is perception. Let us support what is right. There were many bidders who submitted lower priced bids but were rejected on flimsy grounds AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE LAW, but which is against international practice. These were Post-qualification matters such as litigation status which does not affect the substance of the bid (price). This tender could have been easily awarded to a bidder who put their bid at US$9 Million and today, no one would have cried foul. Indeed it is surprising that the evaluation committee and the approving authorities were not shaken by recommending award of contract to such a highly priced bidder! Did they have a conscious? They all need to be taken to task. But I very much doubt the involvement of the Minister and President.
…and while we are all at it, can someone show the nation and the world some counter quotes with details of the specifications as demanded by our fire department???? Can someone prove that an IVECO or MAN or VOLVO etc truck with a,b,c,d, specifications costs so much. Even Laura Miti knows jack about fire trucks and their requirements but she had herself arrested for this matter, can she and those who are conversant with this matter kindly enlighten Zambians, please???
@2.1 In Zambia if you want people to go against government don’t appeal to the intellect, just whip up emotions and everyone will jump on the bandwagon. Can one of the agitators go to UK and using their money buy a fire engine at $200,000 to prove that the engines were overpriced. .especially the billionaires in upnd.
“…taking into account that there could be new evidence that points to collusion now that the deal has been concluded…”
But why can’t someone forward this evidence, please and save us all the time??? Mr. Chibamba, Mr. kwambwili, Ms. Miti, anyone, please avail this evidence as a matter of national urgency!!!!
@Senior citizen:those crowns cannot provide us with any evidence or how much such a fire engine is worth.all they know is making political noise.by so doing,they think the man they supoort (HH) can be voted for by Zambians.but they forget that HH himself got rich dubiously via privatization.GBM and Kambwili gave themselves huge contracts when they were ministers just recently.CAN A NORMAL ZAMBIAN TAKE SUCH CRO0KS SERIOUS?BIG NO.they are just jealous of the hard working PF Govnt-period!!
TIZ is also a useless institution.ACC has cleared the air over this fire engine tender,what more can we ask for?
PLEASE SPARE US WITH YOUR NONSENSE BA TIZ!!
Tiz director fimofimo you have been calling for acc to act and they have answered you yes acc came in after the London company to Zppa and Zambian Govt to court in which the company lost in court .It’s like the Zambian Company got the tender through the court. So boss shut up
As a nation, we don’ t have an Anti Corruption but a ”Corruption Commission” which has been compromised by the Edgar Lungu Administration for corruption and it’ s corrupt government. Fishi bengabomba ba Corruption Commission because the entire system comprise of corrupt elements.
If the ITZ has concrete evidence on this case,let the show the nation so that an appropriate action can be taken.
The Judiciary and law agencies are not free in Zambia because if government is cleared of wrong doing people like Chiibamba will not be happy.
Attitude of the people we appoint to public service is completely wrong. How can they ask us to do what they are paid for by us to do? Even a little google can provide answers but they’d rather they spare the Internet bundles we pay for them to do other things like post useless cadre-level support materials on blogs and they are there demanding us to spend our own data bundles (which is again taxed) to do work for them. This is the only place where an employee asks the employer to go and do the work himself. Why are they called employees!?
This Tonga moron (chibamba)with his hatred for ECL ,go to London company, go to ZPPA ,Union of fire tenders ZRA and court of Zambia gather adequate information on this issue instead of misleading people of Zambia, GZR is not buying goods and services like common companies ( gbm milling etc ) NO they have procedures to follow with stakeholders locally and internationally.however, it’s high time for citizens to know and understand how GRZ runs not always to get gruntled individuals in the name of social organizations or non governmental eg TIZ .Chibamba , Mac Donald chipenzi, widow Laura miti,some LAZ officials who were sponsored by Anglo-America as their custom to do Law etc and failed politicians like CK,savior chishimba(ex-PF member of parliament expelled by ourLate hero MCS) have team…
TIZ please shut up. When you do not know where you are going, you wont reach. IF you have NO facts to present, how then can one say this is wrong? For those that consider anything said as news, keep feeding them.
If we can resolve this issue of fire engines better we google in to find out about the prizes , I just the opportunity to do so I was shocked to see the price for one engine .
One fully equipped fire engine can easily cost 1200000dollars one million two hundred thousand dollars .
Those to be be used at the airports cost from 1500000dollars one million five hundred thousand dollars .
Now since we know the cost for fire engine fully equipped what is the argument , better rest this case and start politicking on other issues
People like Kambwili will clutch at anything to dent governments name. Unfortunately Zambians can accept anything even from “former” rotten eggs like this ogre. As long as it suits their agenda.
@ nshilimbemba, you are cheat:
US$ 179,451
This is cost of a brand NEW
MAN 18.250 fire truck (same family as Scania) with the following specs:
Euro 6 engine
EN 1028 standard
4×4 drive
5,000 litre water tank
1,000 litre foam tank
Dual stage pump
Monitor for water and foam
50m high pressure hose reel
You can judge for your selves!! Zambia has bee raped.
Let the appointment of the acc boss be done by the speaker, then they can begin to execute their duties professionally. For now they I think the organization it self is corrupt.
Are those of you supporting this wasteful purchase of firetenders brain dead or on the payroll of the devil?
Your problem is that you want everyone to agree with you on everything. Just go get a fire tender and come and tell us how much it’ll cost you.
Ck has given you all the quotations which were submitted and we the the lowest bid $6,000,000.they went for $45,000,000.stupidity or corruption! Let the people judge.
Have you verified those questions? And why didn’t your gorilla challenge these when he was able to from within. How gullible and fickle minded can you get?
These fire engines don’t always come with all gadgets , so you have to buy them separately.
You Will not get a fire engine fully equipped at anything less than 1200000$ or one million two hundred thousand dollars.
However the most expensive ones are those used at airport s. Those cost from 1500000$
Now you demonstrators tell us where you will find cheaper fire engines.
Anything less than the said price is fake.
Comment:
Now then do you want the ACC to create falsehoods, what kind of lawyering is that?
What interests me is where is the patrotism in Zambia. Buying fire engines is not like buying a tshirt from salaula. Alot of people were involved from Parliament (it was definetely discussed through the budget), at ZPPA (the tender process was open and specifications provided), the ministry of local government (as the procuring ministry), the ministry of finance (as the pay master), RATSA etc. Are we saying that all these people cannot whistleblow on this tender. Now that the fire tenders are here we want to ask for evidence. My plea is that correct the wrong before it is committed rather than demonstrating. TIZ says it has alot of corrupt evidence, lay it out on the table – do also want to be cirrupted to say it. Look Zambians, anything that happens, someone new it could happen, so be…
….continued……So a fire engine depending on class could be under $1000,000, whereas a ladder truck could cost up to $300,000 and that is with both trucks unequipped. Adding equipment from basics like hoses to hydraulic extrication tools may add another $50,000 to $100,000. It all comes down to what the department ordering a new (not used) truck wants and what functions they want that piece of equipment to perform.
So depressing!! Isn’t there anyone in the government who can serve others instead of themselves?? Where’s the morals?? Poor role models!! How embarrassing for us Zambian