FND condemns underming of ACB
A local Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Forum for National Development (FND) has condemned what it calls efforts to undermine and interfere with the operation of Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) in the wake of investigations and arrests of top government officials.
“We have noted with great concern the continued undermining of corruption fight in Malawi and the operations of the ACB from interested groups and individuals that include the government, suspects, Civil Society Organisations and social media influencers.
“These interest groups and influencers, have adopted an attitude of treating each and every suspect as guilty as charged. Unfortunately, they would want the entire nation to bend to their wish,” the statement signed by its national director Fryson Chodzi, reads in part.
FND pointed out that such outside influence on law enforcement agencies was resulting in arrests of suspects before investigations are concluded.
“We have in mind several cases including that of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) misreporting of (economic issues to the International Monetary Fund) where people were arrested and now the case is pending the outcome of an audit which is still being carried out,” it said.
Former RBM governor Dalitso Kabambe and his deputy Henry Mathanga were among those arrested in connection with the alleged misreporting.
The statement also cites president Lazarus Chakwera’s condemnation of ACB report on businessman Zuneth Sattar’s investigation as one of the high profile examples of attacks on the anti-graft body.
In his national address last week, Chakwera described the report by ACB director general Martha Chizuma, which among others, implicated Vice-President Saulos Chilima and the recently fired Inspector General of Police George Kainja as substandard and unprofessional.
