Speaker probes government’s irregular financing

A probe into the use of money from the National Assembly account to finance the recent ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) convention in Kabwe had prompted an inquiry by National Assembly Speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa, ‘The Post’ reported on Friday.

Quoting sources in parliament, the report said senior accounting staff in the National Assembly had been questioned while the chief cashier, who encashed the US $359,000 cheques for the convention, had to write a report on the matter. “Initially he had written a memo that he was acting on instructions from undisclosed officials, but the letter, before being handed over to the Speaker, was rephrased,” the source was quoted as saying. He said the latest letter indicated that the finance ministry did disburse funds to the National Assembly, but that shortly after the transfer, instructions were issued for the funds to be used for an immediate deficit and would be returned later. The sources questioned the authority the cashier had to encash the cheques when he was not an authorising official.