ACC clears Dangote official of Shamenda bribe allegations

THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has cleared former Dangote Industries Zambia Limited human resources manager Bala Zango whom Minister of Labour and Security Fackson Shamenda reported for allegedly attempting to bribe him.
But Mr Shamenda said it is up to the ACC to determine whether to institute investigations into the matter or not as it considers several technicalities.
ACC public relations manager Timothy Moono said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that after due consideration of the complaint, the commission has not instituted any investigations into the matter.
“In arriving at this decision, the commission has taken into consideration, among other issues, the circumstances and likelihood of an investigation which will disclose facts that show that an offence was committed under the Anti-Corruption Act,” Mr Moono said.
He reminded members of the public to always report any cases of alleged or suspected corrupt practices directly and in confidence to the ACC.
He also said in terms of Section 39 (1) of the Anti- Corruption Act number 3 of 2012, public officers are particularly required to make a full report to the ACC or the police, of any gratification corruptly given, promised or offered to them within 24 hours of the occurrence of the event.
Mr Moono said failure to do so without reasonable cause amounts to an offence on the part of the public officer who is liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand (200,000)  penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or both.
On September 13, 2014, Mr Shamenda revealed that Mr Zango allegedly attempted to bribe him at a hotel.
Dangote dismissed the allegations as malicious misinformation.
And Mr Shamenda said he has no problem with the move by ACC not to institute investigations against Mr Zango for allegedly offering him a bribe.
“I have no problem with what the ACC has finally decided to do in the case I reported, though the problem now is that some people would put my name in the mud,” he said in an interview.
Mr Shamenda said this may be the reason several people shun reporting cases of corruption to the ACC.
He said his interest was to send a signal to the corporate world against bribing government officials in their quest to do business in Zambia.

Zambia Daily Mail