WHERE IS SATURNIA AUDIT REPORT?

WHERE is the forensic audit report into operations of Saturnia Pension Fund and why hasn’t it been handed over to Government yet? These and many other mindboggling questions beg for answers from the Pensions and Insurance Authority (PIA) and related law enforcement agencies. What is baffling in all this is that the PIA claims it handed over the audit report into the operations of the fund to the government, yet Government seems to be in the dark over the report. What is the truth here? If the damning audit report was indeed handed over to Government as the PIA insists, why hasn’t it been made public? We know for a fact that the audit into the fund was ordered by the then Minister of Finance, Mr Felix Mutati in May 2017 after serious financial irregularities bordering on externalisation of funds to offshore accounts without authorisation were exposed. It is also a fact that billions of Kwacha invested in offshore accounts were not approved by trustees just like the dubious transactions. In our view, the report is a public document and stakeholders, especially pensioners whose monies were depleted through illegal transactions, need to know the contents of the report. Zambians need to know who was responsible for looting funds at Saturnia and what will become of them. We agree with Zambia Republican Party president Wright Musoma and Edward Mumbi that investigative wings should probe the PIA and establish why the forensic report into the fund has still not been availed to Government. The Ministry of Finance has categorically stated that it has not received the report which the PIA claims it handed over more than a month ago and it is only proper that the authority explains. As Mr Musoma and Mr Mumbi state, the PIA should come out clean over the matter and stop the fanfare because the scandal has left so many pensioners suffering as a result of few greedy individuals. We also know for a fact that another audit was done, this time on behalf of another organisation, Saturnia Pension registered Trustees. Unfortunately, the PIA could not avail us a copy but whistle-blowers did and it confirms dubious transfer of funds and payment of huge fees. Our efforts to expose gross abuse of funds and authority in the Saturnia Pension Fund through stories appear to have hit a brick wall as no action has been taken against any of those fingered in the scam. Further, despite producing records from PACRA showing the names of owners companies involved in the fund scandal, still no action has been taken. Are individuals involved in the scandal sacred cows, why the inertia in taking action? We are left wondering as to why nobody seems to be bothered about the financial crimes committed and worse still why the audit reports still remains a mystery. The Saturnia issue should be pushed to its conclusive end and no stones should be left unturned until culprits are punished. It is only proper that those who externalised pensioners’ funds are brought to book over their financial crimes. Make the audit report public now so people can know the truth.