Citizen
Alliance has called upon the government to commence a fresh and credible
recruitment process for the substantive Director General of the Anti-Corruption
Bureau.
In an
interview with Umunthu FM, Director Braxon Nkhoma says the Alliance is
concerned that what was intended as a temporary acting appointment has
continued for an extended period.
Nkhoma
further says the Alliance recognizes that the government has indicated that
continued acting appointments are permissible within the existing legal
framework. However, Malawians cannot continue to be reduced to whether an
acting appointment is legally permissible.
According
to the Alliance, the latest recruitment process failed to identify a candidate
who met the required threshold for appointment to the substantive position of
Director General of the ACB, including the current acting Director General.
“The
question that Malawians are asking is why the person who has failed to meet the
threshold is continuing to act in the position? Yes, government has said that
its position is that it is legal, but for us, we are saying this matter is
beyond just looking at legality. It is an issue of perception, trust and
confidence in the leadership of the bureau,” said Nkhoma.
Nkhoma
says the ACB carries a critical responsibility for investigating and preventing
corruption and supporting the enforcement of Malawi’s anti-corruption laws.
Therefore, its leadership must command not only legal authority but also
professional credibility and public trust.
“We are
asking government to ensure that the prolonged acting arrangement does not
become a permanent feature of the leadership of the ACB and to ensure that the
recruitment process is transparent, merit-based and sufficiently independent to
command public confidence,” he added.
The
Alliance has therefore urged the President, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional
Affairs, Parliament and all institutions involved in the appointment process to
treat the matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.
