ACB losing the plot
Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is gradually losing the fight against corruption. There are internal and external factors that are militating against the ACB and leading to the weakening of the resolve to fight corruption. It is said that corruption has a way of fighting back. Perhaps, the ACB has now reached the position where the evil forces of corruption are actively throwing punches below the belt of the anti corruption body.
In a sudden twist of events, ACB made an announcement that it was no longer interested to pursue the corruption allegation involving the Chief of Staff of State House. Even more interesting were revelations that the motor vehicle which was allegedly received as a bribe by the Chief of Staff, had been handed over to the ACB. Observers wondered if the act of handing over the vehicle was not proof enough of the existence of corruption, and if this was an admission of wrong doing.
Civil society activists also asked the same questions, and they continue to wonder if this behaviour may not imply that ACB is compromised. Given the amount of political power and influence associated with State House officers occupying the Chief of Staff office, the civil society bodies have reasonable grounds to suspect foul play, and further suspect elements of political manipulation.
On a related note, ACB recently also announced that it has relaxed some of the restrictions imposed on UK-based businessman Zunneth Sattar. ACB is pursuing Sattar on serious allegations of corruption involving billions of Kwacha siphoned through a network of corrupt cartels whose tentacles extended to almost all sectors of Malawi government. It is alleged that Sattar corrupted some senior government officials, some parliamentarians, journalists, and civil society leaders.
Some members of the judiciary or judges are also allegedly implicated in the high level Sattar corruption scandal. The soft heart that ACB has recently shown on the matter brings both wonder and confusion such that any reasonable person would be left asking what exactly is going on in the corridors of the ACB.
These developments are also taking place at a time ACB has made slow or no interventions in deals bordering on abuse such as the bad procurement of fertiliser from the ‘butchery’. While it is good news that the money was returned, it is still true that government officials and politicians that facilitated the deal are walking scot free.
The fact that money was recovered does not mean that the wrong doing has been purged. Former minister of agriculture, and officials at Capital Hill that facilitated the illicit transaction should be brought to book until justice takes its course. This is where the ACB should have shown that it still has teeth to bite. Sadly, the ACB has taken a back benchers role.
Similarly, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has also this week shocked Malawians with its announcement that it has discontinued its investigation into the fertiliser deals involving the so-called East Bridge company of Romania. Again, PAC has insulted the intelligence of Malawians by claiming it has found that no financial transactions were made in the deal, hence the discontinuation. Clearly, however, this is another situation where government officials went the whole length to justify the deal, and the minister of Agriculture is on record sanitising and glorifying the role of East Bridge.
The posture taken by PAC of Parliament bears close similarities with statements made by ACB on the different cases of abuse both institutions have been pursuing. It is highly likely that ACB and PAC are succumbing to pressure emanating from similar source. Ultimately, Malawi will continue to suffer selective and politicized war on corruption that will be a lost battle.
