Mabvuku Tafara MP. James Maridadi has said that Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa must be exorcised of ghosts visiting him at night after he dismissed the $15 billion figure being thrown around as the amount of the missing diamond revenue.
In an interview with NewsDay senior Parliamentary reporter Veneranda Langa (ND), Maridadi (JM) said Chinamasa must give the exact figure rather than just dismiss the $15 billion one put forward by former president Robert Mugabe. Below is an excerpt of the interview:
ND: Chinamasa also went on to say that the $15 billion figure being thrown around as the amount of the missing diamonds is overstated. You were one of the MPs who blasted Chinamasa for his defence. Why?
JM: I do not know what has gotten into Chinamasa and why he is taking it upon himself to defend the indefensible. He must be exorcised of ghosts visiting him at night because people did not dream of that figure. It is a figure which was presented to us by former President Robert Mugabe. When Mugabe presented the figure Chinamasa failed to immediately say that it was a wrong figure, and so why is he doing it now? He is even failing to give us an alternative figure to account for the missing diamonds. We cannot allow that, he (Chinamasa) must bring the correct figure. If I had my way I would tell Chinamasa to do what is in his mandate and stop defending the indefensible.
More: NewsDay