By Isaac Zulu
Activist Brebner Changala has charged that the UPND administration is using the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as a tool of oppression against political opponents and and individuals that they don’t like.
Commenting on the continued silence by the ACC on the nature of investigations they are carrying out against Solicitor General Marshal Muchende and the fact that the UPND government has pledged to uphold transparency in the fight against corruption, Changala said the fight against corruption is selective and only meant to silence political opponents.
He said the unprofessional fight against corruption has rendered the ACC useless and irrelevant.
“The case of Marshal Muchende should not die a natural death. Look at the way they excite the nation when it involves Patriot Front (PF) officials or anybody that the UPND administration doesn’t like. This fight against corruption is selective and the Anti-Corruption Commission is now a tool of oppression against political opponents and individuals that the UPND doesn’t like. This unprofessional way of fighting corruption has made the Anti-Corruption Commission useless and irrelevant,” Changala said in an interview. “They charged Dick Sichembe and hound him out of office for getting allowances, with a full statement just to dramatise the case. And they have the arrogance not to take him to court because that was not their intention. Their intention was to remove him from office and replace him with a more friendly Auditor General. It is a New Dawn for new white collar crimes.”
He said the UPND administration is using ACC to destroy careers for individuals they don’t like.
“They decided to destroy the career of a person who has served in the civil service for 29 years. That’s Dick Sichembe and they want to protect a person who has just been in the civil service for less than two years; that’s Marshal Muchende. Changala said. “They are using the Anti-Corruption Commission to destroy careers for individuals that the UPND administration does not want. Is this the law or procedure? They are protecting the UPND angels.”
Changala also wondered why President Hakainde Hichilema wants to behave like he is the judge and jury in corruption cases.
“It is difficult to confirm or deny that the Solicitor General is being investigated for alleged corrupt related activities and the President has been informed. And one wonders why they are dilly-dallying on this particular issue. And we have also noticed that the President has gone public saying that the Anti-Corruption Commission will explode. Why is he talking about explosion at the ACC when the entire Anti-Corruption Commission board and director general are silent? Has the President become the investigative officer, arresting officer, judge and jury? These are the questions I am asking as Brebner Changala who is a citizen of the Republic of Zambia,” said Changala.
