Africa-Press – Zambia. The African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC) has noted with serious concern the approach taken by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) in the fight against corruption to continue summoning and arresting suspects, properties ceased while depriving the owners before investigations are concluded.
APNAC Zambia Spokesperson Miles Sampa has said that despite the new dawn government and the President in particular, highly demonstrating goodwill towards the fight against corruption with a resounding call to zero tolerance on corruption, which APNAC fully supports.
Mr. Sampa said that some searches carried out on suspect’s properties though having the blessing of the law, have been more of an ambush with a lot of illegalities such as denying suspects access to follow the proceedings of search as well as denied the right to engage legal representation during the search.
He said that APNAC, therefore, calls on the ACC and DEC to exercise professionalism in the execution of their mandates so as to inspire public confidence which is already eroded or the whole process may be rendered to be an academic exercise and a battle for politics.
Mr. Sampa said that APNAC further requests the ACC and DEC to take interest in the reinstatements of public officers taking place to ensure that the officers being reinstated were not genuinely under some disciplinary action but now conveniently claiming to have been political victims. Below is the full statement
APNAC ZAMBIA CHAPTER PRESS STATEMENT ON THE ANTI CORRUPTION COMMISSION (ACC) AND THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION (DEC) 19/01/22
The African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC) Zambia Chapter is a non partisan voluntary body of Parliamentarians established in May 2005.
The main impetus of APNAC is to be a vehicle for coordinating and strengthening Parliamentarians in the fight against corruption and promotion of good governance.
We wish to start by categorically stating that ACC and DEC, both established by Acts of Parliament, stand us our valuable partners in the fight against corruption and therefore we fully support their mandates.
However, we wish to state that we have observed with serious concern the approach taken by ACC and DEC towards the anti corruption fight. The New Dawn government and the President in particular, has highly demonstrated goodwill towards the fight against corruption with a resounding call to ZERO tolerance on corruption and this we fully support as APNAC. He has also been very categorical that while we pursue the perceived corrupt, be it in the past , the present and the future, there is need to uphold the rule of law. Emphatically, no arrests should be entertained before investigations are concluded.
In view of the foregoing, we find it very unfortunate that suspects continue to be summoned and arrested, properties ceased while depriving the owners even before any investigations are concluded. Some searches carried out on suspects properties though having the blessing of the law, have been more of an ambush with a lot of illegalities. Suspects have been denied access to follow the proceedings of search as well as denied the right to engage legal representation during the search. Undoubtedly, this falls below any good practice.
We therefore, want to call upon ACC and DEC to exercise professionalism in the execution of their mandates so as to inspire public confidence which is already eroded otherwise the whole process may be rendered to be an academic exercise and a battle for politics.
We further wish to request ACC and DEC to take interest in the reinstatements of public officers taking place to ensure that the officers being reinstated were not genuinely under some disciplinary action but now conveniently claiming to have been political victims. We also wish to call for investigations into some seemingly improper appointments of public officers especially those alligned to top Government officers such as Minister or MPs. We undertake to ensure no one is above the law in our quest to advocate against all forms of Corruption be it petty, institutional or grande.
Going forward, We demand that DEC should change its name to one that does not restrict them to only drugs related issues but to the fight against all white collar crimes. We are further of the strong view that the new DEC should be of equal institutional standing as ACC as opposed to being a parallel crime unit but with junior or lower powers. With this approach, there will be accountability and transparency between ACC and DEC and able to investigate each other if and when need arise as happens with CIA and FBI in the USA.
We finally wish to reiterate our position of continuously working and partnering with ACC and DEC as we carry out this noble cause for our Country and Continent. I thank you. Issued by: Miles Sampa MP, CHAIRPERSON/SPOKESPERSON -APNAC Zambia
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