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DEC disputes Zambia Red Cross witch-hunt allegation

DEC disputes Zambia Red Cross witch-hunt allegation
By Bright Mukwasa
Wed 21 Dec. 2011, 13:50 CAT

DRUG Enforcement Commissioner Alita Mbahwe says Zambia Red Cross Society officials must be happy that they are being investigated as this creates a chance for them to clear their names.

In an interview yesterday, Mbahwe said there was no reason for any witch-hunting against Zambia Red Cross Society secretary general and his colleagues in the various investigations that DEC was undertaking.

"It's becoming a standard practice. We are not interested in earmarking people just to harass them or witch-hunt them as they are saying; that's not being professional. But people must understand that we do receive complaints and when we do, it's in our mandate to ensure whether that particular issue that has been reported is under our jurisdiction. If it is, we will follow it up to the letter, and necessary results are communicated accordingly," said Mbahwe.

She said she did not see why Zambia Red Cross Society should take the position they had taken.

"What reason do we have to pick on them of all the other organisations?" she said.

She said some people always wanted to accuse the commission of all forms of unprofessional conduct but added that if they had nothing to hide, people should let investigators do their job.

"So there's this growing thing; each time investigating departments want or undertake to carry out a particular investigation, we're always accused. How are we ever going to follow up issues that are brought to our attention if we don't investigate them? At the end of the day, people reporting will be disgruntled and people being investigated are expected to be happy, actually, so that they clear their names. But there are people who will always complain witch-hunting. If you have information that exonerates you from whatever allegations, bring it forth so that we analyse that information and then necessary action is taken."

The Zambia Red Cross Society board has accused the DEC of witch-hunting against its secretary general Charles Mushitu and other officers.

This followed DEC's request for Mushitu to pave way for investigations into allegations of misappropriation of donor funds.

ZRCS national president Kelvin Chiposwa in a letter dated December 12, 2011 stated that the board noted with grave sadness the manner in which the commission continued to engage in witch-hunting against its officers.

"You may be aware, and we believe you have been briefed to the effect that the commission, through your investigation officer Ms Constance Zimba, has been carrying out endless investigations targeting our general secretary for five years now without success," Chiposwa said. "We wonder whether these past and current investigations are indeed genuine or they are laced with hate, personality and malice."

Labels: CORRUPTION, DEC, RED CROSS

posted by MrK @ 3:33 PM