SAKI WEIGHS IN ON DEFENCE AUDITGATE
THE burden of proof on whether President Hakainde Hichilema had given express written consent to the Auditor General to procure the services of Grant Thornton and Price Water House Coopers (PWC) to audit the defence and security wings lies with Government and should be produced, renowned lawyer Sakwiba Sikota SC has said.
Mr Sikota has advised that government should clear the controversy surrounding the decision to have the books of accounts for the Defence Force Units audited by private firms by causing to publish the express written consent by President Hichilema to the Auditor General so that the matter could be rested.
He said it was prudent for Government to produce the express written consent by President Hichilema to the Auditor General so that the debate over the matter could come to a close.
Mr Sikota in an interview said the matter was straight forward because all the government had to do was to produce the letter which the Head of State had written so that they could move on.
He said there was too much speculation at the moment and that this would continue if the matter was not dealt with conclusively.
Mr Sikota said if Government was not going to settle the matter by way of producing proof of the authority from the President, speculation about wrong doing by Finance and National Planning Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane would continue.
“Government should be transparent and just provide the letter President Hichilema wrote so that the matter is put to rest,” he said.
Three political parties, the Economic Front, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Citizens First have told Dr Musokotwane that the procedure he had employed to award Grant Thornton and PWC to audit the country’s defence and security wings was contrary or ultra vires of the provisions of the constitution.
The three parties have given Dr Musokotwane a seven-day ultimatum to prove that President Hichilema had written a consent to Auditor General.