The Jesuit Center for Theological Reflection (JCTR) in Livingstone says has expressed dismay with findings by the Auditor General (AG)’s report, saying the lack of action is alarming.
Speaking with Radio Musi O Tunya News, JCTR outreach coordinator, George Makaha has further demanded that government implements measures that will see an end to corruption scandals each year.
He notes that it was also becoming worrisome for government to continue giving funds towards organs that are cited to be corrupt by the AG’s report.
Mr. Makaha has further expressed dismay that the AG’s office has no power to prosecute perpetrators but only announces, saying independence is required to restore financial discipline in public institutions.
The JCTR outreach coordinator has since appealed to secretary to treasury to devises measures that will discourage financial abuse by controlling officers as he was the chief controlling officer.
And Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) in Livingstone says the 2016 Auditor General’s report on misappropriation of funds is saddening.
The opposition party further attributes the development to failure by law enforcers to work independently.
UPND District Chairman for Politics, Lutangu Fwanyanga says it is sad that institutions responsible of arresting perpetrators of crime have gone to sleep for fear of losing jobs.
Mr. Fwanyanga also alleged that police, drug enforcement commission and anti-corruption commission among others, were only working on orders by those in the forefront stealing public resources.
He wonders why police were only interested in pursuing opposing political parties instead of being proactive on matters that retard development in the country.
Mr. Fwanyanga has since commended the auditor general’s office for highlighting corruption allegations and challenged law enforcement agencies to emulate his office to stop the trend from happening in future.
Last time i heard Lungu saying ACC had to have his permission to prosecute certain accused people.
Jokes all over . Tuma chalo tumbi utu, kaya
The troubling issue is that we all know who is stealing but we keep on talking like we don’t know. Better we shut up and just watch. This is very frustrating mwe
ACC permission issue started with Sata. So it’s part of the Sata vision being carried along.
The system’s that are already in place can work effectively if there’s political will. If the 3 arms of Government are seen to give direction in the fight against corruption, then all other agencies will be activated. But If the Executive is not firing corrupt leaders, the Speaker is defending corruption, and the judiciary is toothless, then the whole Government machinery collapses.
The best suggestion I have heard in the past 20 years yet.
Ndanje, the power to arrest and prosecute lies with ZP and Judiciary. You cannot have it both ways. What would be better is forming specialised units within these institutions. That’s why I always bring up the issue of the Public Protector. Coupled a ZP with strong & modern investigative capabilities as well as well organised group of prosecutors at at NPA. That way, the fight against corruption will be won.
@3 Ndanje… this is the worst suggestion ihave in 30Yrs. why should auditor general with its matero trained young excited auditors be judge and jury in their on case. the auditor general report is never water tight report, is based on sensationalism, excitement, repeated matters, personalisation and above all sheer inept. where are the management responses in that report and are AGO responses.
president lungu as CEO of this country, gave a very professional advice as to how we should proceed with matters raised by AGO. Many haters dismissed him saying he lacks political will to fight those vises, yet he was only avoiding creating the monister out of AGO that will consume us all in future. i say so coz half of the AG’s report are mere repeats of matters raised and rested but not taken…
You might have heard wrong the one who said permission was required was MCS when Summer kaStomach was about to be arrested for his corrupt activities in the import of crude oil. Turning to the issue no JICTR you cannot be judge and jury, the auditors can be called as witnesses to testify to their findings what we need is a trio evidence brought by findings from audit and amendment to the Civil Service General Orders and the Civil Service Financial Orders, and then a bit like the Traffic Act where you have Ratsa have a fast track court for theft by civil servants that should kill them maybe a special unit set up in the Public Defenders Office….but not AG…that would be double tobela
Correct, my friend. That is the role of the Public Protector. Government needs to invest more in the investigative ability of ZP and the quality of prosecutors at NPA. Then as you have put it, specialised units within these institutions are required. What George Mukaha is talking about is a classic case of CSOs meddling in affairs of countries-TOTALLY NOT FEASIBLE, STICK TO HUMANITARIAN WORK, GEORGE.
If you think ZP can do anything about you’ll just end up being disappointed. All one needs is to give these cops some coins, and the prosecutor will “confuse” his evidence in court therfore giving the presiding judge to dismiss the case. That’s the way it works out here. Money is the Savior.
Your point about ZP is spot on, Ndanje. That is why ZP’s reformation and modernising is the starting point of whole anti-corruption fight. ZP recently scored 112th and one of the worst in the World Internal Security and Policing Index globally while Botswana was 47th globally and best in Africa. Imagine, since KKs days, we still recruit the same, we still use the same work environments and structures etc-?P IS JUST OBSOLETE!! At one point, especially during Mwanawasa’s presidency, these reforms should have been kickstarted.
That will be against auditing ethics and principles.The essence of auditing is to find out if financial statements are prepared fairly.It is management,in this case,government that has powers to prosecute.Auditors sole responsibility is to show errors and mistakes in the way the financial statements have been prepared.Management has to act on the report which is on the table.An auditor is not a police to take culprits to book.He tells management to provide mechanism in sealing leakages in the system.If an auditor becomes a prosecutor,he or she will be deviating from auditing ethic and standards.
@6 mbaluso…. tell them!tell them! more so these young inexperienced matero trained auditors from the AGO. They now think they are alpha and omega unto themselves. look at the show of power when go auditing. their job is find financial irregulaties and make recommendations not them to ensure calprits are dealt with.
how much money do tax payers cough on these inexperiened matero trained auditors to carry a simple audit?… millions and millions. a simple audit assignment that requires 1 person, they come 4,5,6 of them using colossal fuel and subs just to waste tym dealing with issues they have dealt with already. how JCTR came up with this suggestion, defies logic.
president lungu must ensure AGO is also scrutinised. they are so personal.
This country has a lot of criminals working in government offices and no one would dare arrest them. Those are the real criminals. I support the motion to start arresting them and incarcerating them.