Chisale on his visit to the Immigration offices in Lilongwe where he exposed entrenched corrupt practices within
* The ACB is concerned that the culture of corruption appears to be well coordinated and tolerated in several Government Departments
* To continue working tirelessly to root out stubborn corrupt syndicates in all Government Departments, particularly those prone to corrupt activities
By Duncan Mlanjira
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has commenced investigations into alleged corrupt practices at the Department of Immigration & Citizenship Services following the exposure of the vice made by Homeland Security Deputy Minister Norman Chisale.
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It has since launched an investigation into 21 complaints of alleged corrupt practices after Chisale challenged the people he found gathered at the Immigration Department’s Regional Office in Lilongwe to provide evidence if they paid officers to expedite their passport processing.
In his engagement with the people, Chisale assured them that he would take up the matter and revealed that one officer had been identified and confessed that he indeed demanded and received payment on top of the legal passport processing fee.
Gabriel Chembezi
In his statement issued today, the ACB acting Director General, Gabriel Chembezi says 21 complaints received “reveal disturbing trends of Immigration officers and middlemen (dobadobas), allegedly demanding bribes of as high as MK500,000 to expedite passport processing, despite the official passport processing fees ranging from MK50,000 to MK120,000”.
“The ACB is concerned that the culture of corruption appears to be well coordinated and tolerated in several Government Departments, which are otherwise supposed to serve the people of Malawi with dignity.”
“The Bureau will ensure that these investigations are thorough and that those responsible for wrongdoing are held accountable,” says the ACB acting Director General.
He added that they “will continue to work tirelessly to root out stubborn corrupt syndicates in all Government Departments., particularly those prone to corrupt activities in order to ensure transparency and accountability in public service delivery”.
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