‘ACC threat to national security’

THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is a threat to the national security and we demand an independent and transparent inquiry into the 48 controversial houses, National Restoration Party (NAREP) Secretary-General Ezra Ngulube has said.

Mr Ngulube said if nothing was done to bring to book the owner of the 48 houses, ACC was going to lose its credibility as an investigative wing and prove that it had been selective in its corruption probe.

In an interview, he said ACC should just come in the open and tell nation if the owner was a politically exposed persons (PEP).

Mr Ngulube said the more they delayed, the more people were going to speculate and blow the situation out of proportion.

And Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) acting ppokesperson Yotam Mtayachalo said ACC was just being economical with the truth over this matter because no person or institution could build such structures without valid documentation from relevant authorities. Mr Mtayachalo said it was shocking that the entire ACC could fail to locate the owner of the 48 flats.

He said it was a known fact that before any structure was erected plans had to be submitted to the planning authority and duly approved.

“A piece of land on which the properties are constructed should obviously have title deeds bearing the name of the owner issued by the Ministry of Lands and besides ground and rates are paid to the government and the local authority,” he said.

Mr Mtayachalo said an independent and transparent inquiry over the 48 housing units should be instituted to identify the real owner of the property and ensure that the culprit was brought to book regardless of his or her status in society. He has also called for radical changes to the ACC and Drug Enforcement Commission Acts respectively to turn them into robust institutions capable of effectively dealing with sophisticated cases of graft.