By Isaac Zulu
Anti-Corruption Commission board chairperson Musa Mwenye says Edgar Lungu’s PF massively disinvested in the fight against corruption but the UPND administration has given the commission K18 million to fight graft.
Mwenye says there was massive disinvestment to the Anti-Corruption Commission by the previous regime, but the UPND administration is doing things differently.
He explained that the new board at the ACC assumed office, the Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters had only four functional utility vehicles, saying that after getting support from government the Anti-Corruption Commission has managed to procure 40 utility vehicles for its operations.
“When we assumed office the ACC headquarters, which has 200 plus employees, only had about four or five functional vehicles for its operations. This only goes to show that there was massive disinvestment to the Anti-Corruption Commission. But the current government gave us K18 million plus for procurement of equipment and operations. As we speak the Commission has 40 vehicles for operations,” Mwenye explained. “To be given such kind of support in such a short period of time, for me, is tangible support, which must be appreciated. And that is a demonstration of political will on the part of government in as far as the fight against corruption is concerned.”
Mwenye said that corruption is a complex and big problem the world over, hence the need to invest a lot materially and financially in order to stamp out the scourge.
He said that inadequate infrastructure in the Judiciary is posing a challenge for the Anti-Corruption Commission to expeditiously conclude complex graft cases in Zambia.
“So there’s need to do more,” Mwenye said.
He was speaking during Sunday Interview programme on ZNBC TV.
Mwenye also said that the recent arrest of the Auditor General by the Anti-Corruption Commission and the investigations against some officers at the Ministry of Finance are not targeted at specific individuals.
He explained that for the Anti-Corruption Commission to effect an arrest “it means that there was an assumption of the commission of an offence.”
Asked by programme host what progress has been made by the Anti-Corruption Commission on the same cases, Mwenye said that he cannot divulge much information on investigations being carried out by officers at the ACC, adding that “the public will be updated through press releases from time to time.”
Mwenye emphasised that the the fight against corruption should not be selective, saying corruption should be fought based on evidence and not hearsay.
He said that fighting corruption past, present and future that has been adopted by the UPND administration is a good approach that is commendable and should be supported by “all Zambians regardless of their political affiliation.”
“And fighting present corruption is a good idea. This is a better way of preventing the acceleration of corruption,” said Mwenye.
