WE’VE NO REGRETS – MINISTER

By KETRA KALUNGA

GOVERNMENT has no regrets over the fight against corruption and will not relent its legitimate effort at recovering stolen assets, Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe has said.

And Mr. Haimbe maintained that there is no witch-hunt in the fight against corruption because those being arrested and prosecuted would be able to defend themselves in the courts of law.

He said in an interview that to the extent that there is reasonable and probable cause to arrest and prosecute suspected perpetrators of economic and financial crimes, the new dawn administration has no regrets.

“From the perspective of Government, any legitimate effort at recovering stolen assets is welcome as it is in the interests of the people of Zambia,” he said.

Mr. Haimbe also said there is no witch-hunt in the fight against corruption because those being arrested and prosecuted have an opportunity to clear their names through the courts of law.

He said having an opportunity to be heard in the courts of law is a demonstration that there is no witch-hunt against anyone, including the former government officials on the pretext of fighting corruption.

“We have no regrets. Besides, those being arrested and prosecuted will have their day in court and can thus use the opportunity to clear their names, which in turn will demonstrate that there is no witch-hunt,” Mr. Haimbe said.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has clarified that the arrests that have been made are based on the sufficient evidence collected on the allegations made towards those arrested.

ACC spokesperson, Queen Chibwe said in an interview that the investigations being conducted leading to the arrests are not meant to punish anyone but to help it establish the truth.

Ms. Chibwe explained that the cases that the ACC conducts result in a person involved either being exonerated or being detained to help it collect evidence to the allegation which raised the suspicion of the corrupt activities a person could have engaged in.

“All cases that the commission conducts, you expect the commission either to exonerate the person or collect evidence to that part of the allegation which raised the suspicion of what they could have engaged in,” she said.