HRDC urges ACB, Chakwera to act on allegations of govt swindled K30bn

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition has urged the State President Dr Lazarus Chakwera and the Anti-Corruption Bureau to act on the allegations that the government has been swindled K30 Billion by a bogus company on Fertilizer deal.

The Ministry of Agriculture through the Secretary for Agriculture, Sandra Mweru dismissed the allegations on Thursday saying they Ministry has only spent K750 Million on the deal that they paid to Barkaat Foods Limited to supply them with the Fertilizer.

“Barkaat Foods Limited failed to supply and consequently ferminated the contract citing loss of production line at Yara UK and they could no longer commit to supply the Fertilizer and they agreed to transfer the fee back to SFFRFM through Ecobank, ” reads part of the statement.

Meanwhile, reacting to the development, the Chairperson of the HRDC, Gift Trapence questioned the means of the government in procurement of the deal saying through the Internet search that they [HRDC] made, Barkaat Foods Limited is a slaughterhouse.

“First question is, where was the call for tenders flighted? What criteria was used. Where is the office of the Director of Public Procurement in all this? What prompted government to use this mod of secret procurement?

“Through just simple Internet search, it shows that Barkaat is a slaughterhouse. We feel like this alleged scam is reckless and embarrassing to the government.

“HRDC, therefore, calls for the President Lazarus Chakwera to take immediate action to ensure that those responsible ought to be taken to task. We also call upon the Anti-Corruption Bureau to institute investigations in this scandal and bring those involved to account,” reads the statement.