Pan-African Parliament (PAP) acting president Asherbiri Gayo yesterday called on Chief Fortune Charumbira to step down from the organisation’s leadership until he is cleared of the sexual allegations levelled against him.

Charumbira was reported to the police in Masvingo after he allegedly sexually harassed his married relative twice in Harare.

The police have, however, not opened a docket against Charumbira.

However, Gayo yesterday argued that Charumbira’s continued presidency was tarnishing PAP’s reputation, accusing him of presiding over a scourge of corrupt activities.

The attacks came after PAP released its Committee on Audit and Public Accounts (CAPA) report yesterday.

“Nobody will work with you. Excellencies, European Union, today they are not willing to work with us. That sexual assault allegation of the president should be sorted out and it should be reported. If I were him, I could have resigned and given it to the members so that he would clear his name,” he said.

Gayo said while African countries could fund PAP activities, there was need to protect the organisation’s name.

“We can contribute to the Pan-African Parliament, but this name should be clear. Excellencies, we should be committed to clear the Pan-African Parliament’s name.”

The members also alleged intimidation after the release of the CAPA report and were not allowed to discuss it at the session yesterday.

“Even we got intimidated because of this CAPA report. We need to move forward,” a member said.

“We have all the evidence, we have all the documents, we will allow the CAPA committee to work again on that document.”

They also charged that some members were getting paid for attending sessions while at home.

“All these are cumulative issues that took us to these wrong directions.
That’s US$250 per day. That’s 20 days. It’s a lot of money that was taken mostly by, I would say, individuals from southern countries.

“And not only that, 58 were brought from South Africa, 48 from Zimbabwe. We need to ask ourselves, do other countries have the right to also send support staff.

“Everybody should be accountable for this action. There is no way that we steal money and we will not be held accountable. No. That will not happen. Excellencies, the point is money was misused, abused, stolen.”

The members also accused people who chair the PAP caucuses of swindling money from the organisation.

“Caucus chairs, I will openly tell you, I will not deny, they are part of the Pan-African Parliament problem. All caucus chairs, without exclusion. They were part of corruption. I have evidence.”

However, a member from the southern African region accused Gayo of violating the PAP agreements, including avoiding discussions on the CAPA report.

“Mr president, you are an acting president of an institution. You are using inside information that only you know that we do not know, to cast aspersions on your enemies, on those that you are calling for help.

“The CAPA report was presented here. You told us that we are not going to discuss the CAPA report, but now you are venturing into discussing the findings of that report,” he said.

-Newsday