The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has said the Police Independent Complaints Commission (ICC) will help reduce corruption cases among police officers and the police institution.
ACB director of corruption prevention Mary Phombeya said this in Lilongwe on Friday during meeting with local oversight institutions that was supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
She said based on corruption surveys, the Malawi Police Service is perceived as one of the public institutions that is highly corrupt.
Said Phombeya: “It is very important, because the ICC will be providing an additional layer in the fight against corruption as they investigate cases involving the police.
“Also, with the ICC, we will be in a position to share relevant data and to handle corruption cases effectively because we will pull our resources and expertise together and tackle issues with speed.”
delivers its mandate
In his remarks, ICC Commissioner Christopher Tukula said the institution will work hand-in-hand with other law enforcement and oversight institutions as well as the public in fighting against corruption and other misconduct perpetrated by police officers.
He said the ICC has been receiving a lot of complaints on police misconduct which shows that there is a problem.
Said Tukula: “Being a newly established agency, we are willing to partner with other oversight bodies, including the ACB, Malawi Human Rights Commission, and the Office of the Ombudsman, to ensure police officers are not corrupt and follow the right ways of conducting their services.”
On his part, UNDP deputy representative Challah Getachew said the collaborative project with ICC will help in fulfilling the Malawi 2063 Vision by preventing corruption, promoting transparency and accountability and ensuring good social service provision.
“UNDP will be providing technical support to ensure that the ICC delivers its mandate,” he said.
The ICC was established under Section 128 of the Malawi Police Act to independently investigate all complaints made by the public against police officers and the entire police institution.
