By Paul Nyathi|Opposition MDC Secretary for Legal Affairs David Coltart has challenged Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa to tell the truth on the suspected corruption in the purchase of the Boeing 777 for Zimbabwe Airways.

In a Facebook post, Coltart challenged the Minister to tell the truth on why proper government purchase procedures were ignored.

Chinamasa blamed sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe as the reason why government failed to follow the laid down procedures to acquire the aircraft from Malaysia.

Coltart’s full challenge to Chinamasa posted on his Facebook reads as foolows:

“The amount of subterfuge and duplicity in this Zimbabwe Airways deal is breathtaking.

Take for example this quote from Finance Minister Chinamasa in today’s Newsday:

“The minister said the project was kept under wraps, as part of a sanctions-busting measure and to avoid disruptions in negotiations”

Chinamasa said the government also engaged Boeing, which, after a due diligence, exercise recommended that the planes were good assets with a lifespan of 15 to 20 years.”

ZANU PF always loves to blame sanctions for everything and use it as cover at every turn. And they have done it again here. Now sanctions is given as the excuse for the lack of transparency around this deal – why the deal “was kept under wraps”. But he is hoisted by his own petard – because in trying to answer another criticism – that we have bought second hand planes from Malaysia – he says that Government engaged Boeing who recommended the planes (to justify what appears to be a bad deal).

Boeing is of course a massive American company, and the USA has some of the most stringent sanctions against the ZANU PF regime. It is simply absurd to think that this Government could have had any dealings with Boeing without the knowledge of the American Government.

So Minister Chinamasa you cannot have your cake and eat it – either sanctions had nothing to do with keeping this deal “under wraps” or Government never engaged Boeing. Pray tell us what in fact is the truth.