Maravi

Criminals mustn't be allowed to rule, says Mateyo

Criminals mustn't be allowed to rule, says Mateyo
By Mutale Kapekele and Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Tuesday April 22, 2008 [04:00]

CRIMINALS must not be allowed to rule as the increasing worldwide power and influence of organised crime is a threat to democracy, Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo has said. Opening the Southern Africa Police Chief Cooperation (SAPCCO) regional workshop on organised crime at Chrismar Hotel yesterday, Mateyo said police had a duty to pursue hot criminals in any country until they were brought to book.

"If you allow criminals to rule then the police will not be there. They have to be dealt with all in a severe manner they want," he said.
Mateyo said the activities of organised crime groups undermined societal values leading to increased crime rates and raised social expenditures.

"Increased worldwide criminal activities and the growing power and the influence of organised crime groups are a significant threat to democratic institutions and free market systems in many countries and regions," he said.

Mateyo noted that crime groups sought to establish and enlarge the local markets for drugs and other illicit contraband, creating corruption and street crime.

"The social consequences of these can be severe, thus they include drug addiction, violence, property and financial fraud crimes, decreased respect for legitimate authorities and increased medical and social welfare costs," he said.

Mateyo said the new global developments in technology and the growth of communications revolution had contributed to the territorial scope for the perpetration of criminal activities.

"The inter-linkages among these crimes create increased serious challenges to our social economic and political stability and the rule of law. This demands a global response which gives priority to full international cooperation in strengthening the existing legal framework on all fronts and at all levels," he said.

Mateyo said increased power and influence of criminal organisations over political and economic structures could cause countries to become 'safe havens' where criminals operated with impunity.

"Criminal groups rely on safe havens as staging or transit areas for moving illicit contrabands such as drugs, arms and illegal immigrants and for money laundering, hiding or investing their illicit proceeds.

They also use these countries, financial and commercial sectors to arrange illicit financing of criminal activities and to broker prohibited transactions, including those regulated and proscribed materials and technologies of interest to states of concern," he said.

He said criminals would continue to threaten democratic and economic interests by conducting their activities from countries where law enforcement was very weak.

"As Inspector General, I have always said that you do not expect a police officer in Zambia to be lenient to a criminal who has a loaded firearm.

You do not advance towards such a criminal and respond with handcuffs. We will respond with weapons even better than what the criminal has I have no mercy," Mateyo said.

And head of organised crime and money laundering at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Charles Goredema said the institute had embarked on a research funded by the German government and Netherlands to deepen understanding of how organised crimes were organised.

"The project is about bringing together law enforcement agencies to try and get a better understanding of what goes on in organised crime and money laundering," he said.

Goredema said the three-year project would gobble 3,300 Euros this year and would be reviewed periodically.

Labels: EPHRAIM MATEYO, SAPCCO

posted by MrK @ 3:20 AM