EACC criticised as Twalib gets nod

The National Assembly has unanimously approved the nomination of Twalib Mbarak as The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Executive Officer.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) received heavy criticism over claims that its officers were engaged in corrupt dealings as lawmakers approved the nomination of its new boss.

The National Assembly yesterday unanimously approved the nomination of Twalib Mbarak for appointment to replace Halakhe Waqo as the EACC chief officer.

But the MPs said the war against corruption would only be won if corruption cartels within the agency were dealt with as they have been fanning the scourge by sabotaging investigations into graft allegations.

The lawmakers threatened to disband the agency and have its mandate discharged by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations should the new boss fail to reform it.

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and his Minority counterpart John Mbadi led the MPs in castigating investigative agencies for allegedly taking the country for a ride in the fight against the scourge, by presenting weak evidence before the courts.

They claimed that some of the officers sent to investigate corruption claims in the 47 county governments have ended up being compromised, thus sabotaging the war on graft.

“The war on corruption can never succeed if the institutions fighting corruption are corrupt. When the hunter is corrupt, then we are taking the country in circles,” said Duale.