Economic NGO to probe fire trucks deal

By BENNIE MUNDANDO WE HAVE commissioned a private forensic audit to investigate the US$42 million fire tender scandal following President Edgar Lungu’s challenge that those who have evidence should bring it out, the Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) has said

The organisation said it was confident evidence would come out.

PeP president Sean Tembo said yesterday that they had accepted President Lungu’s challenge to provide evidence and had set out to find out what exactly had transpired in the purchase of the fire tenders.

Mr. Tembo however said there was also need for Government to instruct all relevant institutions and persons to provide the party’s forensic audit team with all required documents and information that would be needed to do a thorough job based on documentary evidence. He said concealing vital documents would jeopardise the outcome of the investigation.

Mr. Tembo said his party was seeking express permission to interview key institutions such as the AntiCorruption Commission (ACC), Grandview Investments Limited, Financial Intelligence Centre, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), among others.

He expressed optimism that if the said institutions cooperated with the team the party had assembled, it would be easy to determine whether corruption took place or not.

“We are confident that our forensic audit will gather the required evidence and present such evidence to the president in accordance with his challenge.