Parliament seeks explanations from Finance Minister on how K65 million recovered loot was appropriated

Speaker of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, has ordered Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, to deliver a ministerial statement to explain how the K65 million that was forfeited to the state by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was disbursed without Parliament approval.

Mutti, in her ruling on Wednesday, ordered that the statement should be made on Tuesday next week on the money forfeited by media personality, Faith Musonda

Mutti issued the order after Shiwang’andu Member of Parliament, Stephen Kampyongo, raised a point of order on revelations that the K65 million seized from Musonda had been misappropriated.

Kampyongo wanted to know how the K65 million was moved from the custody of the ACC to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and eventually paid to students as bursaries was appropriated without the approval of Parliament.

Kampyongo, the Opposition Chief Whip explained that Article 201 (1) of the Constitution on withdraw from the consolidated fund was clear that monies shall not be withdrawn from the consolidated fund expect by the warrant signed by the President.

He stated that Article 201 (1) (a) dictates that monies in the consolidated Fund could only be withdrawn to meet the expenditure charged on the consolidated fund.

Kampyongo told Parliament in his point of order that monies from the Consolidated Fund could only be withdrawn with authority by the warrant signed by the President and an appropriation Act or supplementary appropriation act in accordance with article 203.

Read more: Reports suggesting anti-graft agency pocketed over K65 million from recovered loot malicious —Hichilema

In her ruling, Speaker Mutti said although the matter did not qualify as a matter of urgent public importance, she would allow Musokotwane to issue a ministerial statement because the matter was of public interest and needed to be put to rest.

She said the reports that the K65 million had been misappropriated had continued to be discussed around the country, even after the ACC and the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education had tried to clarify the matter.

Kampyongo said article 203 (4) states that where there was urgent need to incur expenditure for a purpose that was not appropriated, under the appropriation act of that financial year and it would not be in the public interest to delay the appropriation of the expenditure until a supplementary estimate was approved by the national assembly.

Kampyongo said the Minister responsible for Finance should present a warrant to a relevant parliamentary committee for approval, and that the committee would have to consider the warrant within 48 hours of its presentation before the money could be withdrawn.

“Madam Speaker, you have clearly heard there is no money that can be spent by any spending agency without being approved by parliament,” Kampyongo said.

He said the K65 million was said to have been spent without following the procedure in the constitution.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.