22nd February, 2021
By Abankula
The Presidential Amnesty Programme said it has uncovered some ‘unsavoury acts of fraud’, by its vendors and contractors.
And the agency’s interim administrator, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has vowed to prosecute all the fraudsters, after investigation.
In a statement Monday, Dikio said his office is investigating the fraudsters to determine how widespread and the extent of involvement or connivance with internal elements within the programme.
“While this investigation is ongoing, it will not stop the payment of those whose contracts and documents have been verified and reconciled as soon as the expected funds are released”, he said.
“It will be recalled that before the close of the year 2020, the Presidential Amnesty Programme had sequentially paid a minimum of 104 contractors that had hitherto been owed.
“This process will continue until everyone is paid what they are owed, subject to the availability of funds.
“It must be noted that while the continuing process is evidence of the PAP’s commitment to its mandate which covers the delegates, the investigations will continue to ascertain the issues that gave rise to this allegation.
“Meanwhile vendors/contractors whose contracts have not been revalidated, have not received an approval to self-fund or been mobilized for their respective contracts are advised to suspend and maintain the status quo”, Dikio added.