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{
    "id": 816833,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/816833/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 41,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Parliament. Finally, the two scholars emphasised that, in modern times, one of the important function of Parliament is to hold the Government accountable for its spending of public money. Indeed, it is a general public expectation that Parliament should keep an eye on the Government expenditure. Consequently, Parliament, through its Committees, is obligated to look for instances of misuse of public money and prescribe the necessary remedies. But that responsibility must be dispensed in accordance with the rules set out in our Standing Orders which assign different responsibilities to the various Committees of the House. The Parliamentary Service Commission has assigned qualified and competent staff to support committees for effective and efficient running of committee affairs in line with their oversight mandates. Where this is found to be inadequate, the Parliamentary Service Commission is always amenable to suggestions for improvement. This is more so to inquiries. In addition, some committees consume the services of other agencies that are attached to Parliament, including the Office of the Auditor-General, the Controller of Budget and the Inspectorate of State Corporations. For the effective conduct of inquiries, Chairpersons and Members are expected to accord those officers the opportunity to render their advice before the commencement. During committee hearings, committees may hold preparatory meetings in this regard in order to structure their engagement with witnesses and efficiently utilise their time. This is crucial in effective interrogation and questioning of witnesses. The existence of parallel investigations does not preclude the Committees of the House from discharging their constitutional mandate. Further, Committees have no way of dictating time lines applicable to investigations outside Parliament. This House has had an occasion to conduct various inquiries in the public interest, which culminated in evidence based recommendations and formed the basis for prosecution of cited perpetrators. It rests upon on each Committee to decide and resolve on the urgency of the inquiry they propose to undertake. But where persons who are being investigated are charged in courts of law and prosecution commences on the same matters that are substantially as the same as those before the Committee, I see no use in the particular Committee proceeding with the matter unless there is new information different from those being prosecuted in courts of law."
}