ACB rated poorly on combating corruption

Latest research findings by Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) have revealed that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is not doing well in the fight against corruption.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting in Lilongwe last week, Mejn executive director Dalitso Kubalasa said they decided to assess two institutions, ACB and National Audit Office (NAO), because they are key government organs directly involved in preventing and combating corruption in the country.

 
He said both ACB and NAO faired poorly, noting the establishment of such institutions is not a panacea for combating corruption as there are huge variations between law and practice.
Said Kubalasa: “There is need for authorities to ensure adequate supply of finances to the bodies
so that they operate professionally and for the citizens to hold the leadership to account.
“The purpose of the study was to audit and monitor compliance and implementation of selected conventions and best practice standards of the African Union [AU] member States.”

 
Kubalasa further stated the research findings suggest that almost 30 percent of government revenue is lost through corruption.
“The net effect of corruption scandals has reduced public confidence in ACB’s ability to eliminate corruption,” he said.
Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) representative Wezi Kayira observed that, among others, the ability by the civil society and media to promote transparency and accountability in government is hampered by the legal uncertainty about access to asset declaration documents of senior government officials.

 
“Asset recovery is critical in the fight against corruption as it renders corruption unattractive to potential practitioners while allowing the State to recover some of the assets lost,” said Kayira.
A recent National Integrity System (NIS) assessment report shows that ACB scored 25 percent on transparency, 50 percent on resources, and 50 percent on accountability.