It’s Difficult To Believe In ACC When It’s Not Securing Convictions – Former PF SG Davies Mwila

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Davies Mwila

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)

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