Jane Mlambo| Chairperson of the Public Accounts committee, Honorable Tendai Biti was yesterday left fuming after the Zimbabwe National Road Authority board refused to answer questions of abuse of funds as contained in the Auditor General’s report.

Biti described the ZINARA board’s conduct as unacceptable saying they are looking at possibilities of charging them with contempt of parliament.

“We find that conduct to be totally abominable, totally unacceptable, totally reprehensible. Parliament is an institution of the State which in terms of Section 119 of the Constitution has power of oversight over Government, over any institution in Zimbabwe,” he said

“This committee has a special power that it is given under Section 299 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and it is the power to determine how public funds are used and how revenue is collected. So we consider your refusal to answer our questions as serious obstruction of the powers and functions of Parliament where we are discussing matters where there is serious evidence of abuse of public funds by Zinara.”

Biti added that the committee felt that the conduct by Zinara management was a deliberate attempt to protect corruption but more unforgiving as an attempt to emasculate and muzzle the independence of Parliament.

He added that they would write to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, for action to be taken.

“Subsection 4 of the Schedule to the Privileges and Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act states that it is a crime to refuse to answer any lawful and relevant question by Parliament or a committee.

“We are going therefore to write to Parliament through the Speaker of Parliament. We are going to make strong recommendations for sanctions and penalties against yourself (Mrs Mujokoro), against the finance director and the former director of administration and against Zinara,” he added.

The audit report highlighted rampant abuse of funds at the administration including awarding of contracts without going to tender, payments to companies that have not carried out any work while senior managers received allowances not provided for in their contracts.