IN order to achieve a zero tolerance to corruption there is need to address all the loopholes that those who abuse the trust and steal from the people can hide their assets, Anti-Corruption Commission Director General Thom Trevor Shamakamba has said.
Mr Shamakamba said this when he officiated at the training workshop for Law Enforcement Agency’s (LEAs) and other ACC stakeholders in financial investigations organized by Basel Institute.
He said the training has come at the right time when the focus globally has shifted from conviction-based forfeiture to non-conviction-based forfeiture.
Mr Shamakamba said non-conviction-based forfeiture was less costly and stolen assets could be returned to their rightful owners who were the citizens in a fair and effective manner.
He said Asset recovery also deprives criminals from enjoying their ill-gotten wealth.
Mr Shamakamba the training this would highlight key areas of asset recovery which were critical in the corruption fight.
He also said ACC was grateful to Basel Institute on Governance and the Commonwealth in building the capacity and help in asset tracing.
And British High Commissioner, Nicholas Woolley said Zambia has renewed its commitment to fighting corruption and there was need to see progress and implementation.
He said the fight against corruption should focus not only on the past, but also the present and the future.
Mr Woolley also said interagency cooperation was of course essential, because the agencies must look at crimes from inception to prosecution from different perspectives, with all the links in the chain working together.
He said there was need for cooperation at the national, regional, and international levels.
