PAC OWES ME APOLOGY - KNOWLEDGE

MBABANE - Former investigator in the ministry of Education and Training Knowledge Ngwenya has written a hot-worded letter to the chairman of the PAC.

Ngwenya is of the view that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) owes him an apology as he never received any cent from the sum of E282 519 that was reportedly misappropriated at Ikhwezi High School, through payment to suppliers. The letter is in respect of the PAC recommendations on the Auditor General’s Report on the use of funds in public schools for the financial year ended May 31, 2018. Ngwenya’s name appeared in the issue of Inkhwezi High School where the aforementioned amount was allegedly embezzled by the management of the school, through payment of suppliers.  Ngwenya is one of the people whom the PAC recommended that he should be reported to the police by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Bheki Gama.

In his four-page letter, Ngwenya stated that on June 13, 2022, he received a call from the controlling officer in the ministry of Education and Training, who informed him that he was complying with the PAC recommendations and further invited him to give his side of the story. He said he did not understand why the committee could have made such a recommendation that the controlling officer should report the matter to the police for investigations, when on page 21 of its opening statement stated that:  “The head teacher who was the accounting officer during the audited year was fired by the ministry of Education and Training for the misappropriation of school funds.”

Information

Ngwenya pointed out that appearing before the PAC was the new head teacher, who did not have much information on the questions raised by the audit. “To me, this statement by the honourable committee was clear that it acted prematurely by making such recommendation of having the matter reported to the police. “I feel that  the PAC did not conduct its business fairly  by failing  to summon the former head teacher to appear before it to answer on the findings of the audit report as all things were done by him,” reads part of the letter. He further wrote that the responses of the former head teacher could have assisted the PAC to at least arrive at a fair conclusion for onward justified Parliament recommendation. “Therefore, I feel the PAC did not fully exercise its powers as highlighted on Page 6 of its report, especially bullet five which stipulates that the committee has a right to call and enforce the attendance of witnesses to provide information in relation to observation made by the auditor general,” said Ngwenya.

He stated that whatever made the PAC to rely on the evidence of the new head teacher and one member of the school committee, who appeared before it, really puzzled him. “What puzzled me further, is that the PAC is a 12 member committee, but among these members, no one saw that there was a gap that would also make the report incomplete if the person who engaged the suppliers, made verbal agreement with them, signed the cheques with the school’s committee chairman and sometimes was not summoned to appear it,” wrote Ngwenya.
Ngwenya continued to state that, what also mystified him more, was that the PAC worked with partners like, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Police Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit but they also as law enforcement agencies and with their investigation expertise also failed to advise the PAC that it was crucial to advise in an investigation to summon the person who engaged the suppliers, made verbal agreements with them and signed the cheques.

bewildered

He went on to highlight that what further bewildered him was that the PAC allegedly compiled its report and submitted it with recommendation to the House of Assembly wherein different MPs had an opportunity to see the report but none of them raised a concern on the need that the person who engaged the suppliers should appear before the committee to answer on the findings of the auditor general. Ngwenya said he believed that as the controlling officer, the principal secretary in the ministry of Education and Training had already complied with the PAC recommendation that the matter be reported to the police within seven days. He said he trusted that a proper investigation would be conducted by the police. “I hope the police who were part of the PAC sessions will not do the same to investigate the matter, as the fact that they failed to advise the PAC on the crucial need to summon the person who made agreement with the suppliers,” reads part of Ngwenya’s letter.

In conclusion, Ngwenya registered his unhappiness about the recommendation that was made by the PAC in the matter. He said he felt that this was a shoddy job on the part of the PAC such that its decision had placed him as someone who illegally received payments amounting to E282 519.  Ngwenya described the recommendation that was made by the committee as character assassination. He further observed in his response that the controlling officer stated: “On the other hand, the school grantee said, according to his reconciliation, the officer did not instruct the school committee to pay specific debts but to them to compile a list of all legitimate schools debts and then told them to pay them as per the ministry instruction.”

Ngwenya said it then puzzled him why the PAC did not consider that as a reason enough to summon the former head teacher to answer before it. He wondered whether it was deliberate or a costly mistake to tarnish his (Ngwenya) image. “Anyway, honourable chairperson, after all has happened, may I make it clear that there was no black or white cent from the E282 519 paid into Knowledge Ngwenya’s  bank account whether by cheque, cash, mobile money, eWallet, so I hope one day I will receive an apology for such a mistake.

Power

“Yes I know I have no power to change anything but I can assure you with my last breath that I shall comply with the PAC/ Parliament recommendation, in this regard,” concluded Ngwenya. Reached for comment, PAC Chairman Musa Kunene said he had not received the letter. He, however, stated that if Ngwenya had a grievance, he must approach the relevant ministry as the PAC did not deal with individuals. Kunene emphasised that the PAC worked with the relevant ministries and the auditor general.

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