Maravi

Aka condemns society for condoning corruption

Aka condemns society for condoning corruption
By Joan Chirwa
Monday May 26, 2008 [04:01]

SOCIETY should be condemned for condoning corruption in Zambia, Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) commissioner Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika (Aka) has said. Commenting on Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo who last week blamed the bribing of traffic officers on road users, Aka said society needed to re-examine itself on issues of corruption because it took two people for bribery to occur. He said the rising cases of corruption among police officers resulted from society’s quest to avoid being inconvenienced.

“It is the citizens that offer bribes to police officers. We acknowledge the fact that corruption is rampant among police officers but again we need to look at the one that offers bribes and not only those that receive the bribes,” Aka said. “I think we need to condemn ourselves as society for condoning corruption whether it is offering or accepting it. Everybody knows who is on the taking side and the one on the offering side.”

Aka said society had been too quiet on corruption issues, emphasising the need for Zambia to advance towards the reduction of bribery cases.

“Sometimes, we are too quiet as society to speak about these things. The truth is that corruption cannot exist if society refuses to bribe the police officers. The problem is that we have had officers being prosecuted for bribery but there is an absence from the side of the person who offered the bribe. Most of the reports we get are about the person that received the bribe being prosecuted and not the one that offered the bribe,” Aka said.
He urged law enforcement agencies to be tough on those who are caught offering bribes to officers.
“We have been a little soft on those offering bribes…we need to be tough on them. We always have a tendency of resorting to corruption whenever we are inconvenienced. This must end and it is good that we are on the same page with the police over this matter,” said Aka.

Mateyo last week warned of serious action against both corrupt police officers and those offering bribes.
Speaking when the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) through the Ministry of Transport and Communication donated 10 vehicles to the Zambia Police, Mateyo warned that both the traffic officer and the person bribing the officer would be arrested.

Labels: ACC, AKASHAMBATWA MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA, CORRUPTION

posted by MrK @ 3:37 AM