Measures in place to stop graft: PG

ZIMBABWE has shown its commitment to fight corruption by putting in place a cocktail of measures that eradicate the scourge threatening to wreck the fabric of a functioning economy, Prosecutor-General Justice Loyce Matanda-Moyo told a major UN conference on corruption this week.

The Government embarked on reform initiatives aimed at fighting corruption and recovery of stolen assets by enacting several laws and amending various pieces of legislation.

The Money Laundering Act of 2019 criminalises money laundering, empowers the law enforcement agencies to seize unexplained wealth, allows for civil recovery of proceeds of crime, established a Financial Intelligence Unit, a recovered asset fund and an asset management Unit.

Justice Matanda-Moyo said Zimbabwe affirmed that corruption was a problem which required serious commitment to eradicate the scourge.

She made the remarks this week while addressing the 10th Session of the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), in Atlanta, Georgia, United States which ends today.

“To date the country has made US$26 million in forfeitures to victims, US$11,6 million to the State and preservation orders worth US$100 million in way of freezing seizures, interdicts, and unexplained wealth orders,” she said. Justice Matanda-Moyo hailed UNCAC conference which coincided with commemorations of the instrument’s 20 years of existence, saying this offered the participants a platform to reflect on the efforts made to tackle corruption globally and the extent of implementation by Member States of this very important tool.

Zimbabwe signed the UNCAC treaty in 2004 and ratified it in 2007 and has so far participated in both the review mechanisms provided by the Convention which have been completed.

In addition, Zimbabwe has reviewed four countries: Zambia, Benin, Central African Republic, and the Russian Federation.

Justice Matanda-Moyo said Zimbabwe has domesticated the convention through several legal frameworks which include the new Constitution of Zimbabwe in 2013, which created the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Prosecuting Authority.

In her address, Justice Matanda-Moyo also touched on several other pieces of legislation that criminalised abuse of functions in public entities and the procurement sector and those that enhances transparency and accountability in the public sector and which provides for the declaration of assets for all board members of public entities and heads of all public entities.

And among others, the laws criminalised the fraudulent, reckless, or grossly negligent conduct of business, falsification of records and obligates companies to maintain and file beneficial ownership information.

◆ Full story on www.herald.co.zw