Corruption fight not for ACB alone—Kondowe

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Lucas Kondowe has accepted the results of the Corruption Perception Index of the Transparency International which shows that corruption is worsening in Malawi but has argued that the fight against the vice should not be left to the institution alone.

In an interview yesterday, Kondowe said as ACB, they were not particularly excited about the year to year movements on the CPI but the trend of corruption investigations and prosecutions over the years.

He said the findings of the Transparency International were disappointing but all was not lost.

“What is important is to look at the trend of the corruption fight over the years. Where have we come from in the last 10 years, what are we doing right and how can we move forward?” he said.

Kondowe added: “Yes, corruption remains a problem but Malawians must realise that the fight against corruption is not a one institution fight, it is not going to be won by ACB alone. It needs the media, the Judiciary, civil society organisations, Legislature. I always get frustrated when I hear sentiments that ACB is not doing enough to fight corruption.”

Reacting to observations that that ACB is weak and selective in its prosecution drive, Kondowe bemoaned the politicisation of the corruption fight for such perceptions.

“ACB is expected to arrest people anyhow, but we cannot do that without investigations. Individuals have rights too and we cannot arrest anyone of just mere suspicions,” he said, referring to the maize scandal and halted investigations at Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom), which he said were currently underway. n