By Isaac Zulu
Anti-Corruption Commission director general Gilbert Phiri says there is nothing sinister about law enforcement agencies discontinuing pursuing a case where an accused person has surrendered property believed to have been acquired using proceeds of crime.
And Phiri has reiterated that there will be no sacred cows in the fight against corruption.
Speaking when he featured on ZNBC TV programme dubbed “Sunday Interview,” Phiri explained that the there are some legal provisions that allow the seizure and forfeiture of property believed to have been acquired by corrupt means by allowing an accused person to enter into a settlement agreement with the state.
Phiri said that he would rather have a situation where government recovers public resources from suspects that are involved in corrupt activities, than wasting time and public resources pursuing matters through litigation, provided an accused person consents that they are willing to forfeit such property because it is believed to have been acquired using proceeds of crime.
“You would save time and public resources by not taking the prosecution route. After all, the person will still be considered to be a convict but will not be incarcerated,” said Phiri.
He said that the UPND administration is committed to ensuring that corruption cases are expeditiously disposed off, “without compromising the justice system.”
Phiri also said that the previous regime lacked “political will to fight corruption.”
And Phiri has said that there will be no sacred cows in the fight corruption.
He stressed that any individual who is involved in corrupt activities will be pursued regardless of their political affiliations and status in society.
“It does not matter whether you are a judge, a lawyer or minister. We will fight corruption – past, present and future. And I can guarantee you that there will be no sacred cows in the fight against corruption,” Phiri said.
Phiri further stated that individuals engaging in corrupt activities are using sophisticated ways of evading the law, hence the need for the Anti-Corruption Commission to continue formulating capacity building programmes for investigative officers.
He explained that the Anti-Corruption Commission currently has qualified and skilled officers to prosecute corruption cases, but the Commission will continue conducting in-service training programmes for its members of staff, saying society has evolved and there is need to move with modern trends.
