News / National
More than 10 legislators in Harare face arrest
23 Apr 2012 at 22:28hrs | Views
OVER 10 legislators in Harare face arrest for failing to account for their Constituency Development Funds.
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga yesterday confirmed that audits were ongoing.
He however, refused to name legislators who failed to account for the funds.
An audit carried out in the province by officials from the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs unearthed the mismanagement of funds.
The audit teams have so far gone through more than 102 of the country's 210 constituencies.
Sources within the ministry said the legislators were given up to the end of this month to respond to the audit findings, failing which they will be arrested.
Sources said none of the legislators fingered in the suspected abuse had responded to the audit.
"They are not responding meaning the findings will be forwarded to the relevant authorities, who include the Anti-Corruption Commission.
"We have been doing some parts of Harare and out of the 15 constituencies we have unearthed irregularities on more than 10 legislators.
"This means that they would face the law for misusing public funds," the source said.
He said certain projects the legislators claimed to have done were in tandem with the amount of money used.
"In their returns, the legislators claimed to have pumped a lot of money into some projects but the actual thing on the ground would show that money was misused.
"In some cases, the projects they purport to have initiated are not existent," the source said.
Minister Matinenga said the audit teams were now in Matabeleland.
He, however, declined to name the Harare legislators.
"Yes, the auditors have done some of the constituencies in the capital (Harare) and discovered what they discovered which we will forward to the relevant authorities," he said.
"We are not going to name anyone after those unfounded reports that we were targeting certain individuals. We are going to audit every constituency and after that we are going to the next stage." Minister Matinenga said the auditors were now in Matabeleland.
"As I am speaking, there is no auditor in the office and they are busy with their work. The fact that they are out means that funding has been made available to enable them to do their business," he said.
The auditors are expected to have done six constituencies in Mashonaland East by the end of the month.
Sources said Treasury last week released US$6 000 for the audit.
The Ministry needs about US$330 000 to finish auditing all the 210 constituencies countrywide.
Four MPs have been arrested by the Ant-Corruption Commission over the development funds.
Attorney-General Mr Johannes Tomana recently instructed that investigations and arrests by the Anti-Corruption Commission of MPs accused of abusing CDF be "halted in abeyance".
He, however, said the suspension does not mean that legislators who may have abused the money were off the hook.
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga yesterday confirmed that audits were ongoing.
He however, refused to name legislators who failed to account for the funds.
An audit carried out in the province by officials from the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs unearthed the mismanagement of funds.
The audit teams have so far gone through more than 102 of the country's 210 constituencies.
Sources within the ministry said the legislators were given up to the end of this month to respond to the audit findings, failing which they will be arrested.
Sources said none of the legislators fingered in the suspected abuse had responded to the audit.
"They are not responding meaning the findings will be forwarded to the relevant authorities, who include the Anti-Corruption Commission.
"We have been doing some parts of Harare and out of the 15 constituencies we have unearthed irregularities on more than 10 legislators.
"This means that they would face the law for misusing public funds," the source said.
He said certain projects the legislators claimed to have done were in tandem with the amount of money used.
"In their returns, the legislators claimed to have pumped a lot of money into some projects but the actual thing on the ground would show that money was misused.
Minister Matinenga said the audit teams were now in Matabeleland.
He, however, declined to name the Harare legislators.
"Yes, the auditors have done some of the constituencies in the capital (Harare) and discovered what they discovered which we will forward to the relevant authorities," he said.
"We are not going to name anyone after those unfounded reports that we were targeting certain individuals. We are going to audit every constituency and after that we are going to the next stage." Minister Matinenga said the auditors were now in Matabeleland.
"As I am speaking, there is no auditor in the office and they are busy with their work. The fact that they are out means that funding has been made available to enable them to do their business," he said.
The auditors are expected to have done six constituencies in Mashonaland East by the end of the month.
Sources said Treasury last week released US$6 000 for the audit.
The Ministry needs about US$330 000 to finish auditing all the 210 constituencies countrywide.
Four MPs have been arrested by the Ant-Corruption Commission over the development funds.
Attorney-General Mr Johannes Tomana recently instructed that investigations and arrests by the Anti-Corruption Commission of MPs accused of abusing CDF be "halted in abeyance".
He, however, said the suspension does not mean that legislators who may have abused the money were off the hook.
Source - TH
