Leader of the House Jappie Mhango insists that Parliament will only accept the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on the Amaryllis Hotel if former Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba’s testimony is included.
His position casts fresh doubt on the fate of the inquiry report despite PAC chairperson Steve Malondera announcing two weeks ago that investigations were completed and that the report was ready for tabling during the Third Meeting of the 52nd Session of Parliament starting today.
In an interview yesterday, Mhango said in the absence of Zamba’s testimony, there is effectively no report.
“I have not been informed whether the hotel report is ready as I can’t recall whether Zamba appeared before the committee. She is key to the inquiry,” he said.
Mhango, who is Minister of Transport and Public Works, maintained that Zamba is a crucial witness whose evidence is necessary for the inquiry to be considered complete.
He wondered why PAC was struggling to interrogate Zamba when she was able to virtually testify in the Parliament Ad- Hoc Committee inquiry into the June 10 2024 military plane crash that killed vice-president Saulos Chilima and eight others.
Zamba informed Parliament that she would not appear because she was receiving medical treatment outside the country and was also facing court proceedings related to the Amaryllis Hotel purchase.
Yusuf Investment Limited requested to testify in camera, but PAC rejected the request.
Malondera could not be reached for comment yesterday as he did not answer repeated phone calls. PAC vice-chairperson Tulinje Muluzi said only the chairperson could comment on the matter.
However, Malondera had earlier maintained that the committee had completed its work.
In a separate interview yesterday, Malawi Congress Party chief whip Moses Kunkuyu said Parliament is expected to consider committee reports, subsidiary legi s lation, minister ia l statements and other carry-over business.
On the Amaryllis report, he said he understood there had been agreement for it to be presented during the period set aside for committee reports.
