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ACC is doing a disservice to Zambians -Lifuka

ACC is doing a disservice to Zambians -Lifuka
By Speedwell Mupuchi
Wednesday February 21, 2007 [02:00]

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia (TIZ) acting president Reuben Lifuka has said the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is doing a disservice to Zambians by not being proactive on corruption cases. And Lifuka has called for a comprehensive review of the fight against corruption to chart a way forward.

Commenting on the lack of action over the reported theft of a total of K136 billion by public servants, Lifuka said the approach the ACC was taking in fighting corruption had resulted in huge sums of money being stolen. "It is the same approach they have taken even over the Auditor General's reports. Names are mentioned and they still wait for someone to complain. So much money has gone unaccounted for because the ACC are waiting for a complaint," Lifuka said. "We have not seen pro-activeness on the part of the ACC and that's why we have this low threshold of risk. During Chiluba's rule people were saying give me the evidence and we ended up in a mess." Lifuka said unless the ACC became proactive and took drastic measures, it would remain toothless, only targeting corruption at lower levels.

He said in Uganda, the equivalent of the director general of the ACC and the Inspector General of Police sit as permanent witnesses in the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee where they take note of names of individuals named to have abused public funds. Lifuka said the ACC do not need to wait for someone to complain because they just need to check how civil servants were accumulating wealth relative to their earnings and wages and then institute investigations.

He said huge sums such as K100 billion and K36 billion were announced to have been stolen in specific ministries but the ACC was quiet. "That's why we are asking for an evaluation of what has worked, what has not worked and the way forward," Lifuka said. "Let's address the prosecution side as well as prevention and institution and legal aspects."

Lifuka said as far as the money reportedly stolen was concerned, the buck stopped at President Levy Mwanawasa who was head of the government. "Let us not just talk," said Lifuka. TIZ executive director Goodwell Lungu, featuring on Let The People Talk programme on Radio Phoenix said the country stood to lose the fight against corruption if no care were exercised.

Labels: CORRUPTION, TIZ

posted by MrK @ 5:22 AM