Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (Csat) has expressed worry over the cosmetic independence of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and delays in having a whistle-blowers protection law as affecting the fight against corruption.
Speaking yesterday in Lilongwe during a panel discussion organised by the United States Embassy to commemorate International Anti-Corruption Day, Csat executive director Willy Kambwandira said there is need to make ACB genuinely independent.
He further expressed concern about the powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to discontinue corruption cases handled by ACB, saying the country has witnessed questionable discontinuation of court cases.
Said Kambwandira: “When we amended the Act we thought we had made the ACB independent but what happened is that the DPP has powers to discontinue cases.”
Recently, MLS president Patrick Mpaka said it is expected that holders of public office act in good faith and the Legal Affairs Committee ought to provide sensible, timely and transparent checks on that.
Under the country’s laws, the DPP has powers to discontinue a case, but is required, as provided in Section 99 (3) of the Constitution, to explain the justification to the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament within 10 days after the order.
US Chargé d’Affaires Pamela Fessenden said corruption drains resources that could have been used to buy medicines, build roads and bridges, pay teachers’ salaries and provide other services; hence, the need to step up the fight against the vice.
She said: “Corruption impedes economic growth and progress. It erodes public trust in public institutions. It is probably self-explanatory; the areas in which Malawi needs to continue to work to fight corruption.”
She added that everyone needs to take part in the fight against corruption, saying the battle against the vice is not only fought by governments and donors.
The 2023 Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) data released in January this year showed that Malawi’s fight against corruption has weakened in the 10 years dating back to 2012.
