The day money came knocking on jamali's door

Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
Staff Writer | Monday August 5, 2013 00:00

 

There is no specific fingering of Jamali for any malpractice in the tender award. The probable baddies are the various departments at Ndelu Seretse's ministry, the Ministry of Lands and Housing and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB).

It was in February last year when the Ministry of Defence exercised its right to look for its own building, following advice that the acquisition of office accommodation had been decentralised, the report saysThey then find this unoccupied, fancy and spacious double story building at the CBD, complete with car parks. The Ministerial Tender Committee green-lights them to write to the landlord, Jamali. The ministry does, expressing its desire to occupy the whole building and asks for a quotation, to which Jamali obliges.The tender committee at the ministry approves the rental charges, and negotiations for lease agreements, with the help of the Ministry of Lands and Housing, start in October 2012. On November 6, 2012, the Ministry of Lands and Housing signs a lease agreement with Jamali. The lease commences on October 2012 and is effective for five years. Initially, the ministry would pay P33 631,133.20, in the first year.  The figure will increase to P36,994,465.20 in the second year, and P40,693,911.72 in the third year, further coming to P44,763,302.892 in the fourth year, and P49,239,633.1812 in the final year, subject to renewal.

The five-year P200 million-lease contract is now legally binding, along with the P13 million for partitioning the office space that will see the entire ministry headquarters occupying a single office space for the first time.Meanwhile, Jamali has already billed the ministry P19 million for rental arrears from the first six months.The landlord would later adjust the bill to P12.7 million, out of the goodness of his heart, after a compromise was reached last year.

Ndelu's ministry can expect another P19 million bill from Jamali in September, for another six-months arrears.In the meantime the PAC report is seething at how the various ministries involved with the multi-million Pula Jamali office acquisition flouted procedures.