The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) says it remains firm in the fight against corruption regardless of who is involved.
ACC Board Chairperson, Musa Mwenye, says the fight against corruption is the mandate of the ACC and should not be viewed as a way of fixing political opponents.
He said the ACC will take advantage of the political will shown by government to fight past, present and future corruption in totality.
Mr. Mwenye was speaking in Solwezi today when he, in the company of other commissioners and the Director General, called on North-western Deputy Permanent Secretary, Naomi Tetamashimba.
He said the ACC is a public institution and not a political institution whose mandate is to ensure public resources are prudently managed by those entrusted.
“There was a move to weaken the ACC by the previous administration, but we have the political will at the moment from the current government and as an institution we will take advantage of that and rebuild ourselves,” he said.
And ACC Director General, Gilbert Phiri said the institution will not lose sight of its mandate in the fight against corruption because of the negative public perception.
Mr. Phiri said the ACC will remain true to its mandate as it is key in safeguarding resources meant for national development.
“We shall not lose sight of our mandate but we will remain true to it and ensure we do not trample on the rights of the suspects,” he assured.
Mr. Phiri said the ACC has been granted treasury authority to open up 12 more district offices and a provincial office in Muchinga province by end of this year as a way of expanding the presence of the institution around the country.
And Ms. Tetamashimba said the fight against corruption needs concerted efforts from both public and private stakeholders, adding that good governance and national integrity is centered on how well the nation deals with corruption.
She expressed happiness that the ACC is focusing on preventive measures and not just react to graft through investigation and prosecution.