Public Appointments Committee of Parliament-PAC has officially written Speaker of the National Assembly, Catherine Gotani Hara on the failure by the Colleen Zamba-led NOCMA Board to appear before the committee following its summon.
PAC Chairperson, Joyce Chitsulo has disclosed this; saying she wrote the Speaker on Friday.
She quotes Parliamentary Standing Order 163 {3} which requires the matter to be reported to the Speaker’s office where there is suspected contempt of parliament.
Hara is yet to confirm if she has received PAC’s communication on the matter.
The Committee wanted the board to explain its side after NOCMA’s former acting Chief Executive Officer; Hellen Buluma alleged Zamba, who is also Secretary to the President and Cabinet, was forcing her to award fuel supply contracts to certain companies without following procurement procedures.
Attorney General, Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda had advised the board the board to ignore the PAC’s summon; arguing it does not have such a mandate.
However, Malawi Law Society disagreed with Nyirenda; saying Standing Order 157 {a} of Parliament empowers PAC to scrutinize, consider and enquire into the competence of public appointees under the Constitution and report to the Assembly.
Section 60 {3} of the Malawi Constitution says “the National Assembly and any committee of the National Assembly shall have the power to conduct investigations and exercise the power to subpoena the attendance of any person or office holder whosoever as required in connexion with the prudentexercise of the functions of the National Assembly and failure to attend without leave or without valid reason or excuse shall be held to be a contempt of the National Assembly or committee in question.”
