Maravi

DEC chief Chitoba suspended

DEC chief Chitoba suspended
By Noel Sichalwe
Wednesday August 08, 2007 [04:00]

DRUG Enforcement Commission (DEC) Commissioner Ryan Chitoba was yesterday suspended to pave way for investigations into financial scandals at the institution. And Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) president Reuben Lifuka has welcomed the suspension of Chitoba but hoped that it would be extended to the deputy commissioner Jacob Koyi, who is also facing the same allegations.

Meanwhile, the ACC has concluded investigations into the abuse of authority of office allegations against Southern Province minister Joseph Mulyata. Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja announced Chitoba’s suspension in a statement yesterday.

“The Secretary to the Cabinet, Dr Joshua L. Kanganja has announced that Mr Ryan Chitoba, Commissioner, Drug Enforcement Commission has been suspended with immediate effect in order to expedite the on-going investigations on alleged abuse of office against him by the Anti-Corruption Commission,” the statement read in part. “In the meantime, the Inspector General of Police Mr Ephraim Mateyo will oversee the operations of the Drug Enforcement Commission.”
And Lifuka said the suspension of Chitoba was an important development to the problems surrounding DEC.

“We have been asking for it for some time now and we would have made a lot of progress if they did so a long time ago,” Lifuka said. “But one thing we should be aware of is that the suspension of Chitoba is not an admission of guilt but meant to allow professional investigations.”

Lifuka hoped that DEC would stop the transfer of employees who might have been suspected to be whistle-blowers. He further hoped that the government had learnt a lesson not to take institutions like DEC for granted.

“It will, however, be an omission if Mr Chitoba is suspended without his deputy Mr Koyi. This is because they are both facing the same allegations. It would be appropriate that the two receive the same action,” Lifuka said.

Meanwhile former ACC director of operations Bradford Malumbe has said nothing could stop someone being investigated from stepping down unless there was something to hide.

Malumbe was commenting on the ACC investigations against Chitoba and Koyi for abuse of authority of office.

Featuring on Eye Ball to Eye Ball programme on Muvi TV on Monday night, Malumbe said any clean person could not fear to resign from the position to pave way for investigations.

“Unless you have something to hide when you are being investigated, there should be no problem in stepping down,” he said. “Maybe there should be something to be done before the authorities take a decision.”

Malumbe also said it was unfortunate the President Mwanawasa seemed to be the only one talking about corruption while other ministers were quiet.
“I think whoever is in government believes in the anti-corruption policy. If not, I am afraid they are just there for jobs,” he said.

Malumbe said in the previous government, there was no political will to fight corruption and that the ACC did not have adequate funding to conduct proper investigations.
“It used to pain me to find that in a month, we only had fuel money for three days and officers could therefore not go out there to do their work,” he said. “Things have changed now.”

The ACC is investigating Chitoba and his deputy Jacob Koyi for abuse of authority of office involving about K1 billion.

And sources have said that after concluding investigations in the Mulyata saga involving Lusaka businessman Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba popularly known as GBM, the docket has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, asking for consent to prosecute.

ACC director General Nixon Banda confirmed investigations against Mulyata. He said Mulyata was being investigated on allegations that he used his office to order the release of a Germin’s bus that was impounded by Road Development Agency (RDA) officers for overloading at Livingstone weighbridge before paying an admission of guilt fine.
When contacted yesterday to confirm the closure of investigations against Mulyata, Banda said he was not available for comment.

And Zambia Youths Association in the fight against corruption executive director Rickson Kanema expressed disappointment at the behaviour of Reverend Moses Lungu for his attempt to protect DEC commissioners because he was seeking employment from DEC.

Kanema said they supported the stance taken by Transparency International Zambia and the ACC in the investigations at DEC. He said Rev Lungu’s behaviour was contradicting his title.

Labels: ACC, CORRUPTION, DEC, RYAN CHITOBA, TIZ

posted by MrK @ 3:43 AM