IT’S DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE IN ACC WHEN IT’S NOT SECURING CONVICTIONS – FORMER PF SG MWILA.
Thursday, 24 November 2022
FORMER PF secretary general Davies Mwila says it’s embarrassing that the Anti-Corruption Commission has failed to secure convictions of those accused of corruption when that’s its duty.
ACC Director General Gilbert Phiri recently said the commission doesn’t measure its success by convictions, vowing that they will continue arresting people even if no one is jailed out of 100 cases.
But in an interview, Mwila said it was embarrassing for the ACC boss to issue such a statement.
“A senior person holding that office cannot give such an embarrassing statement. When you are at work, you are given targets. Even in production, you are told that you have to reach 75 percent production and after that, it means you have reached the target. For our colleagues, their job is to investigate, arrest and prosecute. Those found wanting must be convicted. Without that, it will be taken as personal harassment and persecution. This is not the fight against corruption. They are just harassing Zambians. Their job is to ensure that people are convicted. If they cannot be convicted, why take cases to court?” he said.
“That is why cases that have been taken to court cannot take off because these guys are just harassing people. They don’t have evidence. That is what he is saying. He means even cases that they don’t have evidence will be taken to court. That is not the essence of establishing the Anti-Corruption Commission. The ACC was established so that they can fight corruption and only take cases they have evidence of. But if they don’t have evidence, they cannot take the matters to court. So it is very embarrassing for the ACC DG to issue such a statement. I hope that President Hakainde Hichilema changes that statement and that gentleman must be castigated. He must explain.”
Mwila wondered how people could believe in the commission when corruption-accused persons were not being convicted.
“When it comes to current leadership, they have not arrested anyone. The one they summoned, PS Magwende, they have kept quiet because they fear leaders in UPND got involved in those scandals. That is why that case is quiet. So far, they have not arrested anyone within the current government despite so many allegations from Zambians that this government is corrupt. No one has been touched. In fact, they are biased with the way they conduct themselves. They are only interested in former PF leaders who served under Edgar Lungu. They are not interested in investigating those who are currently serving,” said Mwila.
“How will people believe in ACC? They cannot believe in them because they are not doing the right thing. If they cannot take cases to court and people are not convicted, what is their role? Then they are not fighting corruption. What we want is to make sure that all those that they see are surely corrupt or stole must be taken to court and convicted. Why take them to court without evidence and you know they won’t be convicted? It is just an embarrassment. I do not expect Mr Phiri who is a lawyer to issue such a statement. It is embarrassing to him and the current government.”
(Credit: News Diggers)
Uyu Gorrila Mwila, your day in Jail will come.
Dr. Homo Mmembe you shut your polluted mouth
Mwila is correct. See now these PF thieves are taunting us.
I repeat, we need serious leaders that can fight corruption. A clown can not manage this fight. Toothless and useless.
These arrests are a farce ,hoodwinking us by ba upnd/acc/Dec.
True, give credit to Mwila. Gilbert Phiri has been DG for the ACC for some months now and so far has recorded Zer convictions.
He just wears his ties and suits every day and drinks tea in the office but he has nothing to show for his work. He has been promoted to be DPP and will leave his current job without a single conviction….that is total failure by any easure. Mr Mwila is right! HH has to change his tack; methodical is not working! Thieves are having a field day at the moment.
The facts on the ground speak for themselves – zero convictions. We will measure the success of the fight against corruption by the number of convictions.
Mere arrests will not move us. So the LEA had better pull up their socks, otherwise the arrests will be seen as harassment which is not good for governance.
Just wait very soon you will start crying. The wheels of justice are moving democratically
Yes Mwila is right. Now the corrupt are even getting more arrogant and know that their cases are going nowhere. Even if it s being a gentleman this is a bit much. Wake up before you lose all your avid supporters.
For once I agree with Mwila. ACC should be set a target for conviction rates. Otherwise, just fire the whole lot and bring in people who are serious.