The Anti-Corruption Commission has summoned former DMMU National Coordinator Chanda Kabwe to appear before the Commission on Monday morning for questioning.
According to a Call Out dated May 13, Mr. Kabwe has been requested to report himself to ACC offices for the purpose of an interview at 09:00 hours.
“Mr Chanda Kabwe, you are requested to report yourself to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) offices at ACC Headquarters (Anti-Corruption House) on Monday, 16th May 2022 for the purpose of an interview. Time 09:00 hours. You will not be kept longer than is absolutely necessary.”
The former DMMU National Coordinator faces investigative officers 48 hours after putting up a show of defiance at the Parliamentary Accounts Committee.
Mr. Kabwe had told the PAC hearing that DMMU adopted the best practices in the fight against Covid-19, a pandemic which has made the globe economically vulnerable.
The former National Coordinator said DMMU emergency procurement is within the law and that he spent sleepless nights to try and fight for the country amid the deadly pandemic.
“When Covid came, we had no plans. We were running like headless chickens both at a country level and a household level because it was a new thing that had come. However, working together within the SADC region and World Health Organization, we adopted some of the best ways to respond to the Covid,” he said.
“The institution is not about the individual but the system. The controls are the same. Zambia was rated red and a lot of things were dying. Businesses were closing and people were dying, people lost money. We had to adopt the best practices for us to fight Covid-19. We spent sleepless nights to try and fight for this country.”
And when he was earlier asked how suppliers for face masks were identified without the advert, the former National Coordinator said “I am at loss chairperson. I was here yesterday, I phoned Parliament to try and give me the documents that you want me to try to speak to. I don’t know if it was designed so that I have no information that was provided for, I don’t know. So I may not know what you may even be referring to,” he said.
“Firstly, the issue of identifying suppliers…..I as NC did not play any role in the finding of suppliers. I have no role in the identifying of suppliers. There is a department which deals with suppliers. I’m sure, from their responses, they are here, they can answer how they identified those suppliers. Then I can maybe come and conclude Hon Chairperson.”
“As you may be aware chair, when we have an emergency, we do not advertise because of the time factor. I am sure the Hon Members are aware that open bidding, which is the default procurement method takes time,” he said.
“When it comes to the identification of the suppliers, we have a data base of the suppliers that were picked.”
