The Patriotic Front has raised serious concerns over the Speaker’s attempt to unlawfully interfere with ongoing criminal investigations against National Assembly officers.
Issued By: Amb. Mwamba
MCC & PF Chairperson of Information and Publicity.
Lusaka, Aug. 29 – We have received, with shock, reports that the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms. Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti, is actively interfering with criminal investigations currently being conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) at the National Assembly.
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Credible reports indicate that the ACC is investigating the Deputy Director in charge of Administration and Human Resources at the National Assembly, Mr. Francis Tanganyika.
When Mr. Tanganyika was summoned and appeared before the ACC investigating officers on Thursday, 23rd August 2024, the reports indicate that the Speaker of the National Assembly also sent zealous assistants; Mr. Sage Samuwika and Mr. Dominic Mwinamo to plead that the officer of interest being investigated allegedly enjoys constitutional immunity as he acts on behalf of the Speaker of the National Assembly.
When these actions did not appear to dissuade the ACC Officers, Ms. Mutti physically drove to the ACC offices located on Chachacha Road, confronted and threatened the Acting Director General, Ms. Monica Chipanta-Mwansa and her officers investigating the matter.
This is a grave development and an affront to the independence and autonomy of the ACC and requires immediate action.
Mr. Mutti was expected to direct that those under criminal investigations must be suspended and not shield them in the illegal manner she has done. Further, her act to storm the ACC offices and threaten members of the Agency is criminal and gross interference.
We recognise that Ms. Mutti is a lawyer and was once a member of the Board of Commissioners of the ACC. She, therefore, understands in full the autonomy and independence of the ACC and its operations, which is also guaranteed by the Republican Constitution.
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The rot occuring at Parliament where the Opposition have their rights curtailed and repeatedly punished with gags, suspensions and expulsions is already such a serious matter. The Speaker has added to this injury by action to unfairly remove staff and conduct illegal recruitments and placements.
Ms. Mutti must be reminded that she is not above the law andd must respect the Constitution.
We had earlier warned that the appointment of Ms. Mutti as Speaker was a clear disservice to Democracy as she would be too quick to break the law and please the appoitning authority because of her chequered past and the matter of allegations of fraud and misappropriated pension and benefits funds of K35million money belonging to her clients. The State persued criminal investigations against her but the matters merely ended a Nolle Prosequi on 24th November, 2024, and therefore not absolving her of the serious criminal allegations.
As Parliament re-opens next week, we hope that Parliamentarians will take up the matter of their Speaker storming the ACC offices, interfering with active investigations, and utterly committing breaches against the law.
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