Maravi

Ex-magistrate calls for breaking of corruption syndicate in Judiciary

Ex-magistrate calls for breaking of corruption syndicate in Judiciary
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Tue 26 June 2012, 13:24 CAT

ACTING Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda must break the corruption syndicate in the Judiciary by removing corrupt judges and magistrates, says former magistrate Scrivener Mulubwa.

In an interview in Kitwe yesterday, Mulubwa, a former magistrate in Kalulushi, said the appointment of justices Chibesakunda and Florence Mumba as acting deputy chief justice was a welcome development as the two were judges of integrity with vast experience.

Mulubwa said justices Chibesakunda and Mumba must protect the integrity they had earned in both local and international legal fraternity by refusing to work with corrupt elements.

He said the Judiciary in Zambia had lost its integrity because of some judges and individual senior judicial staff that were heavily corrupt and had failed to uphold the country's constitution.

"I worked with justice Chibesakunda when she was in-charge of the High Court in Ndola and I know justice Florence Mumba as a very intelligent judge. This is a formidable team of two women of high integrity. I have no doubt they will transform the judiciary and for them to achieve this, they must sweep the Judiciary of corruption. They should not associate themselves with corrupt elements and these corrupt individuals in the system are well known," Mulubwa said.

He said the level of corruption in the Judiciary was appalling and it was the newly appointed Chief Justice's duty to push for serious judicial reforms that would protect and restore the integrity of the institution.

Mulubwa said it was sad that corruption in the judicial system had been allowed to manifest and get to unacceptable levels as some individuals within the system had turned themselves into criminals that needed to be behind bars.

"My appeal is that the people running the Judiciary now will look into the plight of the people. No one is above reproach in the judiciary. It must be noted that it's not everyone who is corrupt in the judiciary but some individuals are very corrupt and have managed to bring the name of the institution into serious disrepute," Mulubwa said.

He said many court clerks and the prosecution teams were involved in various activities of corruption.

Mulubwa said unscrupulous clerks that were conniving with criminals to steal files of cases must be investigated and prosecuted.

He said the institutions must be decentralised so that people with complaints against judicial staff could report the cases and culprits brought to book.

Mulubwa said key institutions in fighting corruption in the Judiciary such as the Judicial Complaints Authority, the Judicial Inspectorate and Training Unit must be decentralised and empowered to end the vice.

Labels: CORRUPTION, JUDICIARY

posted by MrK @ 3:24 PM