Speaking to The Herald, Constitutional law expert Professor Lovemore Madhuku said that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have the powers to arrest officials implicated in the Auditor-General’s reports once they are tabled in Parliament.
This contradicts a statement by police chief spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba that Permanent Secretaries should make a report to the police as accounting officers as per Government protocol. Said Madhuku:
Those reports do not need to be verified or endorsed by Parliament. Once that report is tabled in Parliament, any organ of the State which has issues with what has been raised can act on it.
It is a serious misunderstanding that there should be a complainant. The presentation of that report is sufficient notice to everyone, including the law enforcement agency. It is like saying there is a bombing somewhere, there is no need for a complainant in that case and the police are obliged to investigate that.
More: Herald
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