By Deogratias Mmana
Nineteen months after assuring President Lazarus Chakwera and Malawians that corruption cases for 13 officials found on the list of United Kingdom-based businessman Zuneth Sattar were thoroughly investigated, the Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) has not yet arrested those remaining on the list.
In his national address on June 21, 2022 on ACB’s investigation of allegations of bribery against public officers, Chakwera said there were 84 people on the bureau’s list of officers who allegedly received money or gifts from Sattar.
Chakwera said he had given the list to government departments where those officers came from.
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He further said there were 13 other officers that the bureau said had been extensively investigated to the point of concluding that they conducted themselves corruptly in dealing with Sattar.
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Asked why the bureau has developed cold feet on the list, its spokesperson Egrita Ndala said investigations related to Sattar cases are still continuing.
“The Anti-Corruption Bureau did not make its report on the Zuneth Sattar related investigations public. We therefore are not sure where you are basing your questions on,” Ndala said.
“However, the investigations into Zuneth Sattar related corruption allegations are continuing with some good progress made in most of the cases. As we stated earlier, these are very complex investigations and there are a lot of legal principles arising from the courts on the Zuneth Sattar related cases already under prosecution which we are being careful to make sure that we comply with even at investigations level,” Ndala added.
She further said: “Just as we did with the other cases in courts, the decision to bring charges will only be made after we have finalized particular investigations.”
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Executive Director for Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation Michael Kaiyatsa said ACB’s failure to move on those remaining on the list shows lack of seriousness on their part in pursuing their cases.
“If the cases had indeed been thoroughly investigated and concluded as we were told, then we should have seen people being arrested and prosecuted.
“Sadly, there is no movement on those cases and one wonders whether ACB’s announcement regarding those cases was not just a publicity stunt,” Kaiyatsa said.
He called on the ACB to come out in the open and update Malawians on the progress of those cases.
“Otherwise this silence is undermining public confidence in the ACB and the leadership of the Director General,” Kaiyatsa said.
Executive Director of Church and Society of the Blantyre Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Reverend Master Jumbe also faulted the ACB for its silence on the file of the 13 officers.
“It is very unfortunate that after assuring Malawians that she will do things unusual there are still cases she has not concluded as she completes her contractual term.
“The failure by the ACB director to complete some cases especially those related to the “big fishes” is a clear indication that winning corruption fight is a far-fetched dream in Malawi, whatever the case,” Jumbe said.
Jumbe said, however, that Chizuma has operated in a difficult environment due to lack of political will and political persecution she has endured from the government over the three years she has been in the job.
