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| National |
| Britain wants all recommendations adopted |
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by
Gedion Munthali, 09 June 2003
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12:02:40
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The British government, a leading bilateral donor, has said it expects the Malawi government to incorporate all Law Commission’s recommendations on strengthening the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) into a Bill that can be tabled at the next sitting of Parliament.
Speaking to newly trained ACB prosecutors and investigators at Malawi Institute of Management in Lilongwe on Friday, British High Commissioner Norman Ling noted that President Bakili Muluzi already made a commitment to support the amendments in his 2002 State of the Nation address.
“My government supports recommendations made by an eminent team of professionals under the Law Commission for amendments to the Corrupt Practices Act. We look forward to incorporation of all the Commission’s recommendations into the Bill,” said Ling.
Among other things, the Law Commission has recommended that the ACB should no longer seek Director of Public Prosecution (DPP)’s consent to prosecute corruption cases.
The recommendation follows complaints from the ACB that it is unable to pursue cases when DPP Fahad Assani refuses to grant his consent. But Assani said he grant consent if he is satisfied with the evidence.
“Actually I have given ACB consent on over 96 percent of the cases brought to my office,” Assani told the media sometime back.
Ling said the Malawi government can only send a “strong and positive” signal to the international community and investors that it is committed to fight corruption by creating an enabling environment for anti corrupt efforts to succeed and the ACB to be effective.
“The government must enforce its accounting and disciplinary procedures. Funding levels for the Bureau should be maintained, if not augmented. The government should give the ACB an enhanced legal mandate to enable it to fulfil its role effectively,” said Ling.
Ling’s remarks come barely a day after his government committed to Malawi about K21.2 billion over a three-year programme to support the country’s development in areas of health, education, livelihoods and pro-poor governance.
Ling, whose government has also provided about K246 million to the ACB for staff development and improvement in the bureau’s prosecution capacity, said the international investors, are wary of investing in countries where there are high levels of corruption.
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