‘ACB will not be rushed on Cashgate cases’
The Anti-Corruption Bureau will not rush ongoing investigations into the massive plunder of billions of kwacha at Capital Hill dubbed Cashgate.
ACB Senior Public Relations Officer, Egrita Ndala, said this in an interview with The Daily Times on the sidelines of a media workshop the Bureau organised for Southern Region journalists in Mulanje at the weekend.
There have been complaints by some quarters that the Bureau is taking long to finalize investigating and prosecuting people alleged to have been involved in the scam.
But Ndala has told The Daily Times that the Bureau will not be pressured into rushing investigations.
“Investigation and prosecution is a process and, for us to present and win cases in the country’s courts of law, we need to conduct thorough investigations which take time,” Ndala said.
She also said rushing to arrest suspects without enough evidence could end up in government losing millions in compensations.
“Not only that, we could also end up defaming innocent people,” she said.
Ndala then challenged media practitioners in the country to help the Bureau in fighting corruption.
She said ACB appreciates the role the media played in bringing to light the cash scam.
Said Ndala: “As a Bureau we appreciate existing relations with the media and it is our wish to build on this relationship in order to raise awareness among Malawians on the dangers of corrupt practices.”
Meanwhile, Blantyre Press Club interim president Blessings Kanache has called for professionalism among journalists.
“Our role in the fight against corruption is so crucial that we need to work hard in as far as achieving professionalism is concerned,” Kanache said.
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