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Fate of Richmond culprits out soon
2008-03-18 09:48:15
By Lydia Shekighenda
The fate of people implicated by the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Richmond scam will be known soon after an advisory team formed by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda completes its assignment.
Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Pinda said the team, which he formed last month to work on the select team`s recommendations, had already submitted its report to the Chief Secretary.
``I expect to receive the report from the Chief Secretary this week and see how the advisory committee has worked on each proposal,`` he said.
The team, which comprised different experts, was tasked to go through the recommendations and give consultative advice.
He said after getting the report from the Chief Secretary, he would sit with some ministers to discuss its proposals before advising the President.
The House select committee which probed the Richmond Development Company LLC power-generating contract, had strongly suggested the taking of legal action against some senior public officials.
Former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa and two other ex-ministers Nazir Karamagi (Energy and Minerals) and Dr Ibrahim Msabaha (East African Cooperation) resigned following their official implication.
The Committee also suggested that disciplinary and legal action should be taken against top ranking government officials who were involved in awarding the controversial tender to the dubious American company which was later discovered to be incapable of generating power.
Yesterday, Pinda said the government would weigh the advice given by the advisory team and decide which measures to be taken against the culprits.
When contacted for comments, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Samwel Sitta, said the government was responsible for implementation of all proposals.
``We are not responsible for implementation of the recommendations. We are waiting for the government to give us the report,`` Sitta said.
He said some of the proposals would be implemented in the short run while others would be executed in the long term.
``We are expecting to get the report in the coming Bunge session. I believe an implementation process is underway,`` Sitta said.
The House Committee had recommended that Attorney General John Mwanyika be taken to task for failing to advise the government on the controversial contract.
It also suggested punitive measures be taken against the Director General of the Preventing and Combating of Corruption Bureau, Edward Hoseah, for producing an unprofessional report, which cleared Richmond contract as being free of corruption.
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