The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has rejected claims that it is being used as a political tool to target rivals and retired police officers.
Speaking at a joint press briefing with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, ZACC chairperson Michael Reza said the commission only makes arrests where there is evidence of corruption, regardless of a person’s political affiliation.
He was responding to a question from a journalist regarding concerns that ZACC was selective in its investigations and prosecutions. Reza said:
“… reports that ZACC officials are weaponising their arresting powers and are being used to target retired police officers, businessmen, or others are not true. People need to be disabused of that notion.
“There are no officials at ZACC who are for hire. When a person has committed a crime, it doesn’t matter whether they are a former senior civil servant or what their political affiliation is.
“If they have committed a crime, ZACC will pursue and arrest them based solely on the evidence.”
Reza also criticised people who engage in corrupt activities while attempting to use politics as a shield to avoid arrest. He said:
“We have a situation where some people are trying to get by the back door what they cannot get by the front door.
“When they have been arrested and are being investigated, they turn around and scream politics, saying, ‘I am being arrested because I am a member of the opposition.’
“There is no way that a person’s political affiliation is asked about when they are about to be arrested.
“Zimbabwe is a free country. People have the choice of joining whichever political party they like.
“But there is no right that says if you are a member of the opposition or a retired police officer, you can’t be arrested.
“You will be arrested if you have committed a crime.”
More: The Herald
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