E-Clips:- Business Pictorial - PAC To Re-Introduce Motion In Parliament

A Parliamentary watchdog committee yesterday vowed to re-introduce a motion seeking the adoption of its report on the Anglo Leasing scandal.

The Public Accounts Committee, chaired by official opposition leader Uhuru Kenyatta, warned that it will reintroduce the motion seeking the adoption of its special report on the procurement of passport equipment which was defeated by parliament last year.

Parliament last year voted to reject the special report in its entirety after the government had successfully moved to have the name of finance minister, Daudi Mwiraria, expunged from the records.

Mwiraria had been implicated in the scandal by the committee, then chaired by South Mugirango legislator Omingo Magara. Magara last week stated that the reason why Parliament chose to reject the report in its entirety was because it had been so mutilated that it made little sense in its revised form.

And yesterday, Uhuru declared that it would re-visit the matter now that the government had shown lack of political will to act decisively on major scandals, including the Anglo leasing one. "PAC has resolved to reintroduce in Parliament the motion on adoption of the PAC special report on procurement of passport equipment earlier rejected by the House in its entirety after a crucial paragraph on the Finance ministers responsibility in the deal was expunged," noted the statement read out by Uhuru after chairing the Committees meeting at Parliament Buildings yesterday.

Uhuru was flanked by PAC members Koigi wa Wamwere, Billow Kerrow, Joseph Lagat and Adeline Mwau.

He also stated that PAC was anxiously awaiting a special report from the Controller and Auditor-General on the importation of maize and subsequent distribution of relief food.

The committee further requested that the office of the Controller and Auditor-General undertakes a special audit of three suspect multi-billion deals.

The three deals PAC wants audited include the Silversonic forensic contract for the purchase of security vehicles at a cost of 90 million US dollars. The other deal entails the purchase of communication satellite equipment (broadband spectrum) and payments to Universal Satspace at a cost of 40 million US dollars.

The third deal PAC wants audited touches on the CID forensic science laboratories project at a cost of Shs 4.2 billion, which was cancelled last year. "These projects were queried in the House, during debate on the budget, but the minister could neither provide the contract documents, nor offer satisfactory explanations," noted Uhuru.

He also listed the handling of Police Communication Equipment (E-Cop) initially set to cost Shs 22 billion and the reported purchase of civilian ships from Spain for conversion into warships by the Kenya military. He demanded that the Controller and Auditor-General also conducts audits into the two deals.