Report on former defence secretary given to police

A REPORT on the result of investigations into the former defence secretary Fredrick Punangi has been given to the police fraud squad.
Punangi was suspended by the National Executive Council in December 2010 over allegations of misconduct in office.
He was subsequently investigated by an independent investigation committee in accordance with his contract of employment.
Government’s chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc said the council had accepted the findings and recommendations of the report and had directed that immediate action be taken against those implicated in the report.
He said departmental heads were chief accounting officers of their respective departments and they had a responsibility to ensure systems and processes established by law and policy such as the Public Finance (Management) Act and Public Service (Management) Act were complied with.
“Investigations into conduct of departmental heads are not only to be seen as targeting wrong-doers but more importantly as interventions to correct errors in the system and to make it work the way it is supposed to,” he said.
“This is to ensure there is transparency and accountability at all levels of the governments.”
Police fraud squad director Timothy Gitua said he would examine the evidence and determine what charges would be laid against those implicated in the report.