President Peter Mutharika has insisted that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is independent amid claims from various quarters that the bureau acts selectively.
Mutharika made the remarks during the official launch of National Anti-Corruption Corruption Conference at Bingu International Conference Centre in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe.
The president refuted claims that the bureau acts on matters selectively and that it only targets the opposition saying the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government does not interfere in the job of the anti-corruption body.
He gave an example of the search at the house of former agriculture minister George Chaponda who is also a top DPP official as a sign that the body acts independently and professionally.
During the conference on Thursday, Kenyan anti-corruption crusader Professor Patrick Lumumba said lack of political will is fuelling corruption in Africa.
But Mutharika claimed that corruption cannot only be fought through the presence of political will saying all stakeholders in the country have a role to play in ending this evil act.
Speaking at the same event, National Assembly Speaker Richard Msowoya said the only way Malawi can curb corruption is by accepting that the vice is real in the country and making the bodies that deal with it independent.
Msowoya said interfering in the duties of these bodies is likely to happen because top officials in such institutions are appointed by political leaders and they sometimes do their work to please their masters.
He further said that the vice can also be curbed if the bodies that fight against corruption such as the National Assembly and Anti-Corruption Bureau are fully funded.
On his part, Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda SC said judicial officers also have a crucial role to play in ending corruption in the country.
According to Nyirenda, it is bad for people such as judicial officers who are supposed to be at forefront of fighting the vice to be also involved in mismanaging public funds.
“When the hunters will be hunted nothing will be left for this great nation,” said Nyirenda.
Among other guests who graced the occasion include Secretary General of Commonwealth Patricia Scotland, Lumumba, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Samuel Tembenu and Chief Secretary to the Government Lloyd Muhara.
The conference was jointly organised by Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and Anti-Corruption Bureau under the theme “Corruption in Malawi: Reality or Perception.”
koma si bwampini yemweyi ankasangala kuti bill yopangitsa acb kukhala independent yakanidwa ku parliament ndi ma mp ake a diphiphi???????????? this toothless grandpa is weirdly stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Corruption ngati ikupezekaso mumbale yasima nde what about mwinamo
This simply means that our President doesn’t know what’s going on in his own country. ACB, Police and MRA are being used as personal security details. Am a DPP supporter from Mulanje BUT am very concerned with APM’s leadership style. This is a big threat to democracy and is more worse than during one party dictatorship regime.
Including MBC is performing worse than ever
Yes that’s very true. MBC workers are more like APM’s garden boys…
This so called president,his mind is dead.He can not think like a human being.
why is he insisting on the point of acb being independent yet he has never judged anything correctly. Doesn’t he know the saying that a thousand can’t br wrong than one! am sure he knows of unindependency thus insistence!
Reality or perception, what a theme. Cashgate, liftgate, maizegate, what else? ACB hell bent on those opposing, urrrrrrrrr don’t make me vomit
Pitalayu watikwana tsopano tatopa ndi boma lake lodzeysa umphawili
Really? Serious? ACB is independent? You will convince me in my grave.
Kodi bodzali bwanji wosakhala nalo manyazi munthu wamkulu ngati iwe ?? Bwanji ena akumangidwa ena ayi ?? ZOPUSA :-@:-@:-@ Tikumana 2019 «« MBAMVAAAA »»»
Tiye Tiseche Nthumamo Ngati Ulibe Corruption Kkkkkk Kma Ada Awa Mutu Suli Bwno Afunika Apite Ku Mental
If they are independent indeed let them deal with mr maize gate and and you mr corruption