By Staff Reporter
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) czar Martha Chizuma has said that the graft busting body is not yet done with Vice President Saulosi Klaus Chilima and the corruption charges as well as a warrant of arrest against him has not been withdrawn as some people would want the nation to believe.
“No arrest had been withdrawn. The work that we do is quiet tasking-emotionally, physically and even resource wise. We will proceed with what we are supposed to do,” said Chizuma during a debate to mark the Africa Anti-Corruption Day in Lilongwe on Friday.
She also said there had not been political interference from President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera to force the Bureau drop the matter as is further being suggested in some quarters.
“There has not been any political influence and even if there was, we would not be cowed into doing what is not right,” she added.
However, Chizuma condemned UTM supporters for blocking ACB investigators when the graft bursting body tried to interrogate the vice President at his Area 43 residence in Lilongwe. She urged the supporters to adopt a mindset change and consider the negative implication of corruption on the country.
“When you look at what corruption does, let us say it is done by the current Tonse Alliance government, those who suffer are not only people in opposition. Even those who support the Tonse Alliance also suffer.
“Regardless of your political party, start hating corruption for what it is. People that are indulging in corruption are the evil ones. It is them that are doing this evil not their political parties. It is my wish that we see a change of mind set by the population as a whole,” she said.
Chizuma further pointed out that ACB will not be intimidated by such acts stressing that those who are implicated in corrupt activities will face the law.
The ACB last month released a report that exposed top government officials linked to the alleged corrupt network of United Kingdom based businessperson Zuneth Sattar. Chilima is among the top officials mentioned to have received huge sums of money from Sattar with the motive of influencing award of government contracts.
The exposure resulted in President Chakwera freezing delegated roles to the Vice-President and dismissing Inspector General of Police George Kainja.
President Chakwera questioned why ACB had not included those implicated during the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration while Chilima in a statement described the accusations levelled against him as politically motivated.
After reports that the ACB planned to interview Chilima, his UTM supporters gathered at his residence in a move that was seen as a ploy to intimidate the bureau.
The Malawi Law Society (MLS), among others, condemned the act.
“We call upon members of the Vice-President’s political party or the general public to avoid taking actions and steps that may be perceived to obstruct or impede the course of justice in the matter concerning the allegations of corruption by the Vice-President,” reads in part MLS statement issued on June 26 2022.
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