Priti Patel backs £5.2million payout to Ethiopian ‘Spice Girls’ band Yegna just three years after they win £4million grant
Development Secretary claims the grant is only 'one component' in a wider women's rights programme
FOREIGN aid cash is vanishing into fatcats’ pockets because of “extensive profiteering” by contractors, the Development Secretary admitted yesterday.
But Priti Patel refused to denounce other controversial aid payouts of taxpayers’ money — including an extra £5.2million grant to a pop group branded Ethiopia’s Spice Girls.
Five-member band Yegna are getting the cash to develop their “media platform” including a radio drama — three years after provoking outrage when they won a £4million aid payout.
Following the latest raft of dodgy aid allegations, the Cabinet Minister said her objective was to make sure cash gets to the world’s poorest and delivers taxpayers’ value for money.
Ms Patel told MPs on the International Development committee she wanted to see a crackdown on “profiteering” by foreign aid contractors amid concern at excessive salaries of charity executives.
She said there was “always more that can be done to increase” value for money.
But she stuck up for a £5.2m grant to the Ethiopian girl group Yegna, saying it was only “one component” in a wider women’s rights programme.
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She said UK aid in Ethiopia was “combating forced child marriage, violence, teen pregnancies”.
But she hinted the project could be looked at again, adding: “We are doing a range of work there. That is just one programme, one project.
"It is actually doing substantial work combating the issues that I’ve highlighted. But at the same time all programmes are under review.”
She went on: “When it comes to contractors and suppliers of Dfid, what I want to see is an end to what I consider to be extensive profiteering.
“That is why I want to look at our approach to contracting, our approach to transparency, demonstrating that due diligence is taken through every single stage of the contracting process.”
Ms Patel also targeted other Government departments urging them to pull their weight to make sure foreign aid cash was well spent.
She said the Foreign Office, Home Office, and the Environment department all had to take responsibility for ensuring “transparency” and ministers would be held to account.
It emerged at the weekend she had written to foreign aid agencies demanding they outline details of their spending within 30 days.