FORMER Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Director General Alita Mbahwe says the commission will achieve very little if staff levels and office presence in districts remain low across the country. And Mbahwe says since she left office in 2020, she still receives phone calls from members of the public asking about the construction of a national...

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema says his administration does not want to use the corruption fight to victimise anyone, adding that government understands citizens' frustrations about the slow process and is determined to pick up speed. And President Hichilema says sometimes the media is slow, because even when government has given them a go-ahead for self-regulation, they...

FORMER PF secretary general Davies Mwila says the recent interaction between President Hakainde Hichilema and Edgar Lungu during Sikota Wina's funeral service does not mean the two are in good books, describing the chit-chat as "public relations". In an interview, Mwila said people should not expect Lungu to be in good books with President Hichilema...

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia (TI-Z) chapter president Sampa Kalungu says there seems to be a surge in suspicious cash transactions because politicians always want to fulfil pledges towards the end of their political terms so that people can vote them back. And Kalungu says TI-Z is benchmarking how the UPND government will react to investigative reports...

DRUG Enforcement Commission (DEC) director general Mary Chirwa has observed that much of the commission’s budgetary allocation increase was towards the fight against financial crimes and not the drug side. And United Nations Country Coordinator Beatrice Mutali has raised concern that although the number of people in drug abuse has increased, availability of treatment interventions...

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema says government is being methodical in actualising the production of medicinal marijuana, adding that this will help mitigate drug abuse. And President Hichilema has encouraged youths not to engage in activities done by their peers anyhow, narrating how he used to escort his friends to bars when he doesn't smoke or take...

FINANCIAL Intelligence Centre (FIC) acting Director General Liya Tembo says the institution did not relent in fighting against financial and economic crimes despite the restrictions which came as a result of COVID-19. In an interview, Tembo said despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, FIC continued to perform its mandate and utilised various available systems...

ATTORNEY General Mulilo Kabesha says foreign investors being offered Public-Private Partnerships contracts will need to be thoroughly scrutinised so that only those who are not involved in financing terrorism or corruption are brought on board. In an interview, Kabesha said investors should be vetted so that only those who meant well were given contracts. “What...

THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) says it will cooperate with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) to ensure that law firms involved in financial and economic crimes are thoroughly investigated and sanctions meted out where wrongdoing is proved. Last week, the FIC highlighted how some law firms were involved in money laundering and fraud. This...

UPND Alliance member Nason Msoni says all presidents of political parties which are in the UPND Alliance must be given jobs because they did not risk their lives for nothing. And Msoni has warned that if government does not heed to this, the aggrieved alliance members will start meeting representatives of foreign governments to lament...