Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi, chair of the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee, addresses the media at Parliament buildings on October 24, 2018.
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Prisons bosses to face MPs over Sh6.2 billion tenders
What you need to know:
- The officers will face the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi to shed light on the pending bills, even as earlier reports by a multi-agency team dismissed some of the bills as not genuine.
Former senior prison officers and heads of procurement who worked in prisons from 2009, are set to face a parliamentary committee on Wednesday as MPs begin the probe of Sh6.2 billion pending bills in the State department of correctional services.
The officers will face the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi to shed light on the pending bills, even as earlier reports by a multi-agency team dismissed some of the bills as not genuine.
My Wandayi on Monday confirmed to the Nation that the committee will be handling the matter.
“The focus will be on the controversial pending bills of Sh6.2 billion and preferential treatment of some suppliers. This is a very critical matter,” Mr Wandayi said.
“As disclosed, the pending bills include long outstanding unpaid bills totalling to Sh6.212,289. Failure to settle bills in which they relate adversely affects the subsequent year’s provisions for which they have to be charged,” reads the Auditor General report for the Financial Year 2018/2019, which is currently being examined by the committee.
Questionable documents
Appearing before the committee in February this year, Correctional Service PS Zeinab Hussein told MPs that some of the documents presented to the prison department by the supplier appear to be doctored, and confirming their authenticity before releasing payment cannot be done.
She cited cases where goods were being requisitioned by use of credit letters, which is against Section 58(1) of the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Act, 2015 which provides that all tenders must be in writing, signed and sealed.
The special audit report of the multi-agency team also revealed that there were no inspection and acceptance certificates made available or attached to the payment vouchers as required by law.
The multi-agency team which included officers from DCI, EACC and the Attorney General questioned the Sh6.2 billion pending bills, pointing out that prison stations disowned the pending vouchers presented.
The committee now wants a list of all suppliers who have been paid since 2009 when the bills started accruing.
A member of the committee who requested not to be named in order to pre-empt the Wednesday meeting said they will also probe possible collusion between senior prison officers with suppliers in a bid to defraud the public of billions of shillings through dubious supplies.
“Our main goal is to safeguard the taxpayers’ money, if in any case some people misused their positions in a bid to pocket public money, then they will be made to pay for it,” said the MP.
