An organization called Grand Coalition for the Civil Rights Organizations in Malawi says duty bearers including the president, cabinet ministers and other senior government need to resign when implicated in corruption in order for them to clear their names in the court of law.
The grouping made the remarks today at a press briefing in Lilongwe.
National Spokesperson for the organization Agape Khombe said duty bearers who cling to an office in turn brings disrepute to the office.
The remarks come as Vice President Saulos Chilima is yet to resign despite being charged with six counts related to an alleged K280 million bribe.
Commenting on the commission of inquiry report on the arrest of ACB director general Martha Chizuma, Khombe said they have endorsed the report and commended President Lazarus Chakwera for taking a bold move of making the report public.
Khombe added that in the past, there had been several commissions of inquiry reports but they were not made public by the presidents who were there.
On the findings of the commission, Khombe claimed the findings and recommendations are in line with the terms of reference.
“We are aware that there is a group of people who wanted the report to hang people who they hate and since the report has presented nothing but the truth, they are not happy with the report,” he explained.
On his part, one of the Members, Fredrick Belly Malata said that all crisis areas of the report addresses the question that Malawians have been asking starting from the unfortunate leaked audio that Martha Chizuma had with an individual, now ably identified as Anderson Mwakelyu.
Malata went on to say that ever since the audio came out, they have been arguing that Chizuma broke the law and needed to resign or face disciplinary action as such the report has vindicated them that they have always been on spot .
“We further said that Parliament must not change laws just because of a beef between the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Dr .Steve Kayuni and ACB Director, Chizuma, we are also vindicated by the report,” he said.
He then asked President Lazarus Chakwera to take action on the recommendations from the report forthwith saying this will show action which will show seriousness in fighting against corruption in Malawi.
Among others, the report recommends that Chakwera should take action against Chizuma for her conduct relating to the leaked audio.
However, lawyers and other civil society organisations have argued that the commission appears to have been set up to find reasons for the removal of Chizuma from her role as ACB director general.
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