M’membe asks HH to halt bribery scheme going on at State Chambers
M’membe asks HH to halt bribery scheme going on at State Chambers
By Thomas Ngala
AFTER seeing the “resignation” of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general Tom Shamakamba, Socialist Party leader Fred M’membe feels that Solicitor General Marshal Muchende, “whose corrupt activities are equally known throughout ACC and other law enforcement agencies” should follow suit.
Dr M’membe based his assertions on Dr O’Brien Kaaba’s (a member of the ACC board) allegations that state chambers were in the forefront of looting public resources.
Dr Kaaba, in his statement added that this has put all law enforcement agencies in an awkward situation as state chambers ought to be an ally in fighting corruption.
“No serious crusade against corruption can yield fruits when the heart of the legal machinery for government is contaminated. The level of corruption is sickening to the extent that state chambers are the ones looking for litigants to sue the government and pre-agree to settle or enter consent orders involving huge sums of money,” he said. “The scheme has been perfected to the extent that some orders are now signed using judges outside Lusaka to avoid public scrutiny and media attention in Lusaka. The President needs to do two things: a) dismiss his senior legal advisors and b) either set up a commission of inquiry or authorise a special audit into all the high value payments authorized by state chambers in the last three years.”
Dr Kaaba also said it is a mistake to expect ACC to be an effective tool for fighting corruption in its current form.
“It is a captured institution. The forces that are ripping off the state resources through state chambers also have their stranglehold on ACC. It is no wonder the media has been reporting that the ACC management has simply cut off the board from decision making at the ACC. If the media reports are true, the ACC is not accountable to its board but to the same corrupt elements looting public resources. This suggests the capture is so complete and corruption reigns with impunity,” he said.
Dr Kaaba advised President Hakainde Hichilema to consider setting up a commission of inquiry to find out the depth of the problem.
But Dr M’membe said, in a statement, that it would be highly hypocritical and a mockery for President Hichilema to let go of Shamakamba but retain Muchende.
He said just like Shamakamba, Muchende is severely soiled with corruption, and they both deserve to be arrested and prosecuted immediately, “if indeed President Hichilema is serious with the crusade against corruption”.
“Even if, we highly doubt if Mr Hichilema can take such a bold step insofar as addressing Mr Muchende’s corruption. We say this because on August 21, 2023, we raised concern over Mr Hichilema’s silence and attempts by the State House to block the ACC bribery investigation on Mr Muchende. We were aware that the ACC had placed a restriction order on the property believed to belong to Mr Muchende over allegations that the Solicitor General received a sum of over US $500,000 as a bribe – and much more – from a named former liquidator. We were also reliably informed about the frantic attempts from State House to get the restriction order lifted and the investigations into Mr Muchende’s alleged involvement in corruption thwarted or frustrated,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr M’membe asked why there was panic and desperation at State House over Muchende’s investigation.
He further asked who Muchende is to President Hichilema.
“What is their relationship? What past business/political or other dealings have Mr Hichilema and Mr Muchende done together? Since there is a traceable history between the two, isn’t Mr Hichilema compromised in this matter? We raised the questions above as a way of reminding this corrupt regime, and Mr Hichilema, in particular that his continued silence on this matter is eroding the people’s trust and confidence in the country’s justice system,” said Dr M’membe. “To date, there has been no response to our questions and nothing has happened to Mr Muchende. Only Mr Hichilema knows why he has kept such a tainted person in the state chambers. It is high time Mr Hichilema halted the corruption and bribery scheme going on in the state chambers by discharging Mr Muchende from public office.”