Disaster funds ghost haunts OP

Staff Writer | Friday June 5, 2015 16:43

Guma wondered why Moepeng omitted the DMF on her memo. “There is no way you could balance your books without those funds,” said Guma.

In response Moepeng said she had thought she had clarified the issue in the Auditor General’s report. This angered the legislator, who felt Moepeng did not familiarise herself with their past report. “You just don’t decide to ignore the resolutions of Parliament,” he charged.

Moepeng said she would resubmit the issue later.

During the 2007/08 financial year, the OP unlawfully transferred P16 million from the Disaster Management Fund to establish the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS).

In 2013, the OP apologised for that transgression. The then Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mokgweetsi Masisi said that in procuring the items for establishment of DIS, his officials sought authority from the then Minister in the Office of the President instead of Minister responsible for Finance and Development Planning.

This was an omission on their part given that the authority to spend from this fund should have been given by the latter minister. This omission was due to their then understanding of the word ‘minister’ referred to under section 8 of the 1996 National Disaster Management Fund Order to mean the Minister in the Office of the President. Let me seriously apologise for this omission and assure you honorable members that this type of error will not occur in the future,” said Masisi then.

When the illegal and secret transfer of the P16 million was noticed it caused a public outcry, with PAC calling for a proper explanation from the OP and Attorney General’s office.