WHISTLEBLOWER AT MINISTRY OF FINANCE VICTIMISED?
AWHISTLEBLOWER at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning scandal has allegedly continued to be victimised by the government and other people despite bringing to light revelations of irregularities that has seen 18 officials removed from their positions.
In 2021 an Auditor in the Ministry of Finance became a whistle blower after uncovering extensive money laundering and corruption schemes involving public funds in the ministries of Education and Finance.
And Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) further did its own investigations in August 2022 which also uncovered the embezzlement of over K1 billion through fictitious allowances
and a five-year payroll fraud at the Ministry of Finance.
But the whistleblower has been evicted from the government safe house where he had initially been taken and has been transferred to Mongu from
Lusaka.
This is despite a court order overturning his transfer, disciplinary action against him and subsequent eviction from the government safe house which have been disregarded by the government.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary Mukuli Chikuba was recently reinstated to his position despite being named in the scandal.
A query to the Anti-Corruption Communication over the matter has not been responded to while TIZ is yet to give an update on the matter.
But Community Action Against Corruption executive director Brighton Tembo has observed that the Ministry of Finance scandal is an indication that the fight against corruption is very selective.