MBABANE:Maphevu Mkhatjwa, the Acting Anti Corruption Commission(ACC) Commissioner will not be appointed or confirmed as the Commissioner by the Judicial Service Commission(JSC) as doing so will be in violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 2006, senior insiders within the JSC told this Swaziland News.
Mkhatjwa who was alleged to be pushing politically motivated corruption cases, is a police officer who was seconded to work with the ACC, he “then allegedly influenced the employment of other cops who are his friends as investigators” of the Anti Corruption Commission.
“He won’t even make it to the shortlist and I don’t think he applied because he doesn’t qualify. If he could be appointed, suspects might challenge the corruption cases and win in court because that would mean, the Head of the ACC was illegally appointed hence the investigation would be illegal as well,” said a JSC member.
Efforts to reach Jabu Phakathi, the ACC Spokesperson proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.
On another note, the JSC is highly expected to employ a new Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) and the Commissioner of the Anti Corruption Commission.
Reached for comments by this publication, lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi said “the JSC is correct to consider appointing a qualified ACC Commissioner in terms of the law.
“Appointing a qualfied Commissioner will prevent unnecessary delays where suspects challenge the legality of the investigations. If the ACC Commissioner is not qualified, the appointment might be challenged in court and the ACC will find itself defending the technicalities of the cases instead of fighting corruption,”said the lawyer.
ACC Acting Commissioner Maphevu Mkhatjwa(pic:supplied).