Rights activists are pushing the Chief Justice Rezine Mzikamanda to swiftly establish a special court to try corruption cases, including those involving Vice President Saulos Chilima.
They want the Chief Justice to establish Financial Crimes Court in a bid to speed up the trial of Chilima and 83 other suspects embroiled in the Sattar corruption allegations.
YAS Executive Director Charles Kajoloweka
The graft busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) named the 84, who include Chilima, former police Inspector General George Kainja, former ACB director Reyneck Matemba, some judges, lawyers, politicians and journalists as suspected to have received huge sums of money and other gifts from business man Zuneth Sattar.
They all went the allegations.
But Church and Society executive director Moses Mkandawire said there was urgent need to establish the special Financial Crimes Court to deal with the 84 suspects in the Sattar corruption saga, saying the current courts cannot swiftly deal with the cases.
He said the establishment of the court has dragged for long.
Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency Executive Director Willy Kambwandira, on the other hand, wants Chilima to step aside for his alleged involvement in the Sattar corruption scheme to allow independent investigations to commence.
Charles Kajoloweka of Youth and Society concurs with him; saying it will be difficult to investigate the public officers when they are still holding their offices.
Some Civil Society Organizations – CSOs believe the corruption allegations involving businessesman Zuneth Sattar are just a tip of an iceberg.
YAS Executive Director Charles Kajoloweka demanded either the firing or resignation of all public officers named in the Sattar corruption allegations.
He said their alleged involvement in the state-capture level of corruption erodes their public trust.
