ACB vows to go after errant MDAs
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has intensified undercover investigations in unnamed government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to bust suspected syndicates that stifling service delivery.
Acting ACB director general Hillary Chilomba said this during a press briefing at ACB offices in Lilongwe on Thursday afternoon when the ACB and Malawi Law Commission provided an update on progress in the drafting of the Whistle-blower Protection Bill.
He said the ACB has discovered system capture antics by public servants in some government MDAs aimed at creating desperation among service seekers, which culminate in corruption.
His remarks follow ACB officers’ raid last week of Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services offices in Lilongwe that led to the arrest of some officers.
Chilomba said they will soon raid another MDA where similar activities are rampant, adding more are also on the radar.
Said Chilomba: “It’s a deliberate move that is done to throw the spanners in the system so that they slow the processes. When they slow the process, they cause desperation and the people start to scramble for the services.”
He said corruption is being done more by those the public regard as ‘small fish’, suggesting that it should not be viewed as a small success when the ACB arrests junior officers.
Chilomba stated that in some cases, service application materials can hardly be found at a public service provider yet some middle players, otherwise called doba dobas are found with them in abundance.
“This is where we see that these things are deliberate. As I am sitting here my next move is to go after all service delivery departments and agencies,” he said.
During the briefing, the ACB admitted the existence of gaps in the legal framework despite some strides, citing lack of a legal instrument for whistle-blower protection as one of the serious gaps that needs to be filled.
Malawi Law Commission director of Law Reforms Mike Chinoko said the process of framing the proposed whistle-blower protection law could be completed in three to four months.
He said the proposed law seeks to not only protect whistle-blowers, but also witnesses since the whistle-blowers would be required to be witnesses.
He further said the proposed protectionsmeasures include identity change, relocation and State protection.
The ACB cited cases in which witnesses are tortured and threatened after providing tips, leading to ACB investigations and prosecution of suspects.
In a statement, Chilomba said the protection of whistle-blowers is an important tool not only in the fight against corruption but also many other vices.
“Law enforcement agencies, including the bureau cannot guess about the various malpractices taking place out there. We rely on whistle-blowers to alert us. Although the Corrupt Practices Act has a provision on the protection of whistle-blowers, it is limited in that it covers only those reporting corrupt practices,” he said.
