Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma have been urged to start with investigating crimes committed during the period Tonse Alliance has been in power.
Professor Danwood Chirwa made the call yesterday. He noted that Chizuma and Director of Public Prosecutions Dr Steven Kayuni have an uphill task in the fight against corruption and other crimes.
He suggested that the efforts of the two could be frustrated by the government which is paying lip service to corruption and looting as parties in the Tonse Alliance are openly jostling for control over looting territory and routes.
“I suggest a simple strategy for Kayuni and Chizuma. Your predecessors focused on the crimes of previous regimes and ignored the crimes of the govt of the day. The result was they both failed to prosecute past crime and let the incumbents run free to loot as they wished. Unlike your predecessors, start from the here and now and get to past crimes later. Our challenge is to stop the ruling party(ies) from looting. If we don’t, the law enforcement agencies will always be overwhelmed by the volume of criminality. We will never win the battle,” he said.
Chirwa proposed that the two should prioritize the K6.2 billion Covid-gate, the oilgate scandal involving fuel supply contracts at National Oil Company of Malawi and the revelations by businessperson Thom Mpinganjira that he provided funds to political parties.
“The first two deal with looting and corruption by the two main factions of the alliance. The last deals with the corrupt relationship between business and politicians. Mpinganjira’s revelations under oath need to be investigated further to unravel the structure of corporate-political corruption as a step to eliminating it.
“An urgent message needs to be sent to those enjoying the trappings of power now that the country voted against corruption and looting,” said Chirwa.
