Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Martha Chizuma has expressed optimism that the bureau will meet the deadline given by President Lazarus Chakwera on investigations on the United Kingdom-based businessperson Zunneth Sattar.
On Tuesday, Chakwera gave the ACB, 21 days to report to his office on the progress of the investigations on Sattar, whose alleged corrupt dealings are said to have involved some high-profile figures in his administration.
In an interview with MIJ Online, Chizuma said bureau is working around the clock to ensure that the requested report is done within the given days.
“As a bureau, we watched when the president was addressing the nation and we took note of the 21 days. We are already working towards that, ” said Chizuma.
On whether or not the bureau is basing its investigations on a list of people under investigations by the UK National Crimes Agency, Chizuma has disclosed that the the bureau is conducting its own investigations, which apparently started in October last year.
“For the news coming from UK, these are things we already knew about so there is nothing new really, “she added.
On a request to disclose the names of people being investigated, the ACB director general said the matter is still under investigations.
“It may not be the right time to consider those kinds of requests because we are concentrating on the 21 days that the president has given us. We believe that after the 21 days as the President rightly put it, Malawians have all the right to know,” Chizuma said.