Maravi

Abuse of office clause removal worries Kazabu

Abuse of office clause removal worries Kazabu
By Florence Bupe
Wed 17 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT

LUXON Kazabu says no one in their right state of mind can be happy about the rem-oval of the abuse of office clause from the ACC Act.

Reacting to defence minister Kalombo Mwansa’s statement that Zambians should be happy about the removal of the clause from the ACC Act, Kazabu, the former Kitwe mayor, said Zambians could not be happy because the shield against the abuse of public resources was being removed.

“How can we be happy when the law that is meant to protect our resources is being removed? It is unthinkable for anybody who means well to be happy when the shield is being removed,” Kazabu said.

Dr Mwansa on Monday urged Zambians to be happy with the removal of the abuse of office clause from the ACC Act, saying the government had simply streamlined the law.

Dr Mwansa explained that the government would use the Penal Code to prosecute those abusing public office and resources.

But Kazabu argued that the Penal Code in its current form was not effective enough to deal with the offence of abuse of office.

“This simply means whoever steals our money simply gets away with it,” he said.
Kazabu further said there was nothing wrong with maintaining the clause in the ACC Act because it added strength to the law against corruption.

He said Dr Mwansa’s argument that the existence of the law in the ACC Act was a duplication was unreasonable.

“If we have to duplicate certain clauses of the law to ensure double protection of our resources, why should we get rid of it? Actually, without the abuse of office clause, we are lame,” he said.

Kazabu said those in the MMD were trying to get rid of the abuse of office clause because they feared the law could catch up with them once out of office.
However, he warned that Zambians were alert and would still fight to ensure that those who have abused public resources face the law.

Kazabu also described as surprising Vice-President George Kunda’s remarks that he does not regret taking former president Frederick Chiluba’s corruption cases to the London High Court because he was just acting on behalf of government.

“When he took the matter to London, he did so with the full conviction and belief that he was doing so in the best interest of the Zambian people. It is therefore incredible that he can make a complete roundabout and detach himself from the matter,” said Kazabu.

Vice-President Kunda told Parliament last week that he took the matter involving Chiluba to the London court as government instructed him, not out of personal interest.

Labels: ACC, CORRUPTION, KALOMBO MWANSA, LUXON KAZABU

posted by MrK @ 4:08 PM