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ANTI CORRUPTION DIVIDED?

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MBABANE – A letter allegedly written and signed by four Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) investigators is doing the rounds within the Judiciary.


The letter makes startling allegations, like the ‘fact’ that some officers, at times, arrest high profile suspects without compelling evidence.
The unverified letter alleges that they do this just to embarrass them.


In the letter dated August 11, 2016 and addressed to Chief Justice (CJ) Bheki Maphalala, the ‘aggrieved officers’ allege that a certain group within the ACC was established to target high profile individuals.
“If the cases that have gone through the court processes are anything to go by, it is an indictment on the commission that the quality of the investigations is wanting and there is a need to ensure that investigations are evidence-based and not merely public spectacle and persecution,” reads the letter addressed to the country’s chief justice.


For now, these are allegations whose veracity has not yet been tested by a Commission of Inquiry or any other structure. The authenticity of the letter has also not been verified.
The aggrieved officers allegedly chose not to copy the letter to ACC management.


One of them said, two weeks ago, that they did this to protect themselves from harassment or victimisation.
Another, whose signature is appended, denied knowledge of it when contacted two days ago. He then promptly cut the connection. The letter was purportedly addressed to the CJ in his capacity as Chairman of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
The ACC is established by the Prevention of Corruption Act of July 14, 2006.
According to the law, the ACC commissioner and his deputies are appointed by His Majesty the King on the advice of the JSC.
Meanwhile, the letter alleges that the arrest of the high profile individuals was outside the scope and mandate of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 2006.
Addressing the JSC chairman, in this case the CJ, they feared that some of the arrested suspects would sue government for violation of their rights and freedoms.
“It is for this reason that any arrest by the ACC should be applied with strong precaution,” reads the letter.

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