The Congolese Ministry of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education (EPST) is shaken by a scandal involving economic embezzlement. He is accused by the IGF of embezzling almost $ 400,000 of funds allocated to organize the first school football championship in Africa, on February 19 and 20 in Kinshasa.
as reported from Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa
Facts were revealed on Saturday by the General Financial Supervision Authority (IGF). Nearly $ 400,000, which has been made available to the ministry by the Treasury, has been embezzled, according to the IGF, which condemns the persistent mismanagement.
For this school competition, initiated by FIFA, the Congolese state provided funding of almost one million dollars, of which 462,009 dollars were made available to the Ministry of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education. According to Jules Alingete, about $ 380,000 was taken off, mainly through overpricing of services.
“Inspectors have discovered that there are funds that have been justified on the pretext that they rented the Transco buses [société publique des transports]. The justification provides $ 120,000 paid to Transco. This invoice was sent to the company for certification. This company rejects the authenticity of the invoice and informs that it has been paid for 16,000 dollars, therefore there has been manipulation of the invoice from Transco “, Alingete estimates.
“Out of $ 466,000, only $ 87,000 was used for the tournament.” The deal does not end there, according to Jules Alingete. “The same goes for a supplier from whom they went to print t-shirts that the students had to put on to participate as supporters at the stadium for the final. Even there, the supplier condemned the behavior of the agents of EPST’s ministry, which multiplied the invoice by ten, it adds.
“The financial adviser to the EPST minister produced a print invoice totaling $ 86,000. Verification, made with the printing company that sold it, indicates that the invoice was forged. The actual amount paid was $ 18,000. The inspectors interviewed these officials. to transfer the files so that the judicial authorities take care of them “, explains the director of the IGF.
Other cases of embezzlement have been noted, says Alingete. “In total, of the 466,000 dollars, only $ 87,000 was actually used for the tournament, and the rest was embezzled by members of the EPST minister’s cabinet,” he assures us.
These comments from the public finance police are considered “careless” and “incomprehensible”, in a letter from Eddy Mwanzo, Chief of Staff to the Minister for EPST. According to him, these accusations clearly show “the ruthlessness and lack of objectivity that characterizes” the investigation. He accuses the head of the IGF of having a “hidden agenda” against the minister of EPST, while announcing his intention to take the case to court.
