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Zambia: PAC Questions How Ex-Diplomat Alfred Chunda Awarded Contract
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The Times of Zambia (Ndola)
26 March 2008
Posted to the web 26 March 2008
Ndola
THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday heard that former Zambia's deputy high commissioner to London, Alfred Chunda, allegedly awarded a contract amounting to more than K1 billion without following tender procedure.
Despite the anomaly, no action was taken against Mr Chunda.
This came to light when Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, Tens Kapoma and Mr Chunda himself, now director of politics at the ministry, appeared before the committee, which was chaired by deputy chairperson, Emmanuel Hachipuka, (UPND).
Chief accountant, Mulenga Sinkala and director of human resources and administration, Mikatazo Wakumelo, also accompanied the permanent secretary.
When he was in the foreign service, Mr Chunda offered a contract to Sophenna Associate for the refurbishment of 2 Palace Gate, W8- Zambian High Commission.
According to a letter dated August 5, 2005 to Barry Yusuf of Sophenna Associates, Mr Chunda offered a contract amounting to K1.3 billion (Sterling Pounds 225,690).
"I am pleased to inform you that your company is awarded the contract for Sterling Pounds 225,690. I wish in this instance to request you to submit as urgently as possible, your schedule of work which should ensure minimal disruption to mission work and activities," read the letter in part.
But Mr Chunda argued that as far as he could recall, tenders were offered to three companies and Sopheanne Associates was found to be the most suitable.
Mr Hachipuka asked Mr Kapoma what action had been taken against Mr Chunda and further complained that it had become a normal trend to give contracts without following procedure in most missions abroad.
Isoka West MP, Paul Sichamba (MMD), expressed similar concerns.
Mr Kapoma told the committee that on March 4 this year, he issued a circular to all missions abroad warning that he would not take lightly to officers that deliberately flouted tender procedures.
In the circular, Mr Kapoma complained that he was subjected to several queries by PAC, which showed that missions abroad failed to sign legally binding contracts.
"Failure to follow this will attract appropriate penalty," the circular read in part.
The committee also expressed disappointment on the failure to recover outstanding salary advances for members of staff at the mission in Cairo, Egypt.
Most of the outstanding advances date back to 1989 and wondered why the chief accountant failed to take action over such a long time.
Most members of staff had since died without paying back the salary advances.
Chipangali MP, Vincent Mwale (MMD), wondered why the ministry could not recover US$1,491 from Patrick Kafumukache.
Lieutenant-colonel Kafumukache got the advance on August 3, 2000 but had an opportunity to serve in a ministerial portfolio in 2001.
Mr Mwale argued that the ministry could have recovered the money from Col Kafumukache, more so that he had a ministerial job before he died.
The committee expressed disappointment in other missions like Moscow, Lilongwe, Lubumbashi and Kinshasa among others, for their failure to adhere to accounting principles.
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This prompted Mr Sichamba to ask whether accounting personnel in Zambia's missions abroad were qualified.
Mr Kapoma said the staff was deployed from the ministry of Finance and National Planning to Foreign Affairs.
Owing to the bulk of irregularities in several missions, the committee asked Mr Kapoma to complete his submissions today.
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