ACE PHARMACEUTICALS IN GARDEN COMPOUND ABANDONED, OWNER ON THE RUN

ACE PHARMACEUTICALS IN GARDEN COMPOUND ABANDONED, OWNER ON THE RUN

Ace Pharmaceuticals which was awarded a $13 million contract by Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) to supply 156 ambulances has been abandoned.

Its shadow director is on the run raising suspicions that the ambulances may never be delivered.

CONFIRMED: ‘SUPPLIER’ OF AIR INSTEAD OF CDF AMBULANCES HAS FLED THE COUNTRY

Sujit Shanani the shadow director of ACE Pharmaceuticals has fled the country.

It will now take INTERPOL to extract him from Punjab.

Ace  Pharmaceuticals, a pharmacy located in Garden compound that was awarded a 13 Million US Dollars  tender to supply ambulances under Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has fled the country.

Sources at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) stated that Surjit left early last week as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was about to quiz him.

To qualify to obtain deals to supply medicines  and medical supplies at the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZMMSA), Surjit Shanani, an Indian national resident in Zambia, registered a local firm called Ace Pharmaceuticals using his workers.

Since then, as records show, Shanani has obtained over seven (7) contracts with the government at ZMMSA under limited bidding (single sourcing).

A check at PACRA revealed that Surij has registered as shareholders, his workers Panetta Masala and  Sandiwile Piwase Stephanie Banda and Director, Manjit Singh Basan but he is the signatory and his brother at an account held at the Indo Zambia Bank Limited.

The registered business premises for Ace Pharmaceuticals is stated as a pharmacy located in the sprawling Garden Compound in Lusaka.

Surjit’s biggest contract is the one he won for the supply of CDF Ambulances to the Ministry of  Local government for on-ward delivery to the 156 constituencies.

The tender is under the system popularly known method of single-sourcing, (limited or direct bidding).

The Public Accounts Committee is probing the $13 million procurement inquiring why the tender was not awarded to a manufacturer or registered local agent, or franchise holder of the 4×4 vehicles to be converted as ambulances for constituencies.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) heard how the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health, and ZAMMSA procured 156 ambulance worth K336,173,760 ($13 million) but only eleven (11) units had been delivered.

PAC is also inquiring on why the tender went through selective limited bidding instead of the recommended national open bidding for large-scale public procurements.

PAC has also questioned what Government had done as the contract stipulated a delivery period of 20 weeks  which expired in June 2024.

Further, it has become clear that the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) Circular No. 1 of 2023, which reserves CDF-funded procurements for Zambian citizens, was breached with impunity.

Surjit refused to comment when presented with the facts referring all matters to Acting Director General of ZMMSA or the Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Nicholas Phiri.
And details of Aqueous Investments, which won to supply the other batch, showed that shereholders were Panetta Masala and Sandile Piwase Stephanie.

The registration arrangements appear smilar to Ace Pharmaceuticals but at press time, could not be vitrified.

And Zambia Business Times  has independently done it’s preliminary investigations and we unfortunately join calls for a full investigation by law enforcement agencies for the  reasons:
And the respected Zambian Business Times online newspaper, has joined the calls for full fight against citing the following reasons;
1. Ace pharmaceuticals was only registered last year as its first return was filed on 17 February 2023, company vintage unless it’s a branch is critical to assessment of financial viability.

What is in contention is not just the delivery of the vehicles, but possible corruption and cuts in deals being awarded, in this case for ambulance purchase.

THE $13MILLION AMBULANCE MATTER IS ACTIVE AT ACC

The $13 million CDF ambulance procurement matter which was highlighted by the Parliamentary Accounts Committee a few days ago has already been investigated and concluded by the Anti- Corruption Commission.

The case was also one of the issues highlighted by the FIC.

The culprits should have been arrested already but two ministers including the ‘mother of all corruption’ intervened and stopped the ACC from effecting the arrests. A senior government lawyer has also been mentioned among those shielding the suspects from been arrested.

156 ambulances were supposed to be delivered to constituencies, but only 11 have been received so far. The procurement process was done under emergency method, yet there’s been a delay of over one year.

There is concern that while a few senior government officials are directly benefiting from this corruption, the person being blamed is the president when he is wholly innocent. It is such scandals that eventually made the public detest PF.

👇

Surjit Shanani, the indian national behind Ace Technologies.

A non Zambian doing CDF

The Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) Circular No. 1 of 2023,  reserves CDF-funded procurements for Zambian citizens.