A Joint civil society network in Mzuzu has appealed to President Lazarus Chakwera to effect the rules that govern the removal of Anti-Corruption Bureau Director Martha Chizuma and recruit a new director.
The appeal was made at a media briefing the CSO’s had in Mzuzu on the state of corruption fight in the matter of ACB Director’s interdiction and the United States of America interventions.
Speaking at the briefing , Mervin Nxumayo, chairperson of the network said the systems of governance have been seriously affected as they are busy addressing the Chizuma matter as opposed to developing the nation on other equally important matters.
“Having committed a criminal offence and despite the presidential pardon, Capitol Hill should have proceeded to relieve the ACB boss for failing to promote the Malawian interest and also failing to uphold the decorum required of her office,” said Nxumayo.
Nxumayo said recruiting the new director will help the bureau pick up issues from where the current office holder left them, adding that Chizuma return won’t be productive and will be costly to the tax payer’s money.
Commenting on the matter Edward Kamanga, Chairperson of Young Human Rights Defenders Network said “the issues are exposing the country’s track to fight corruption and have also rendered the independence and sovereignty weak as it is clear that the ACB boss is only accountable to the US government and foreign missions and not the state or its people”.
Among other notable Civil society organizations that attended the briefing include; the Christian Justice Network, Young Politicians Union and Young Human Rights Defenders Network.
On Wednesday, high court judge Mike Tembo dismissed an application by the attorney general to stop the permission for judicial review granted to Malawi Law ssociety over the interdiction of Martha Chizuma, Director General of the Anti- Corruption Bureau.
Chizuma was interdicted over an alleged misconduct of a public officer and an Anticorruption Bureau officer in accordance with the Malawi Public Service Commission regulation over a leaked phone interview.
