Anti-Corruption Bureau warns Capital Hill
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has issued a stern warning to civil servants that bow down to verbal instructions from politicians, saying doing so enables politicians to leave no trail of their involvement in corrupt practices.
ACB Director General Reyneck Matemba sounded the warning at Capital Hill Tuesday at the end of the parade through Lilongwe City to mark the launch of the Anti- Corruption Awareness Month.
“However, let me say that not all [civil servants] are rotten. There are a few bad apples that are tarnishing the image of civil servants,” said Matemba.
He said the ACB wanted to focus its efforts on prevention of corruption, observing that prosecution negatively affected people’s relationships and was expensive.
Matemba cited recent cases where 12 public officers, including couples, were convicted.
One wife was convicted while heavily pregnant while the other family went to prison, leaving behind a child with a kidney problem.
Matemba added that the bureau will continue performing its duties without fear or favour.
The ACB is currently handling corruption cases involving about K1 trillion.
Speaking on behalf of civil servants, Deputy Director of Administration in the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC), Lyson Kandu, said corruption had to be rooted out of Malawi.
“Civil servants should know that they are serving Malawians and that the call from ACB to change our mentality is timely,” he said.
The Anti-Corruption awareness month started on November 9 through to December 8.
Musician Skeffa Chimoto spiced the event, held under the theme ‘Act Now! Fight Corruption for Better Malawi’.
Mathews Kasanda is a journalist who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Malawi (The Polytechnic).
In 2015, Media Institute of Southern Africa awarded him the Best Print Media Education Journalist of the Year accolade.
He joined Times Group Newsroom in September 2019.
