CORRUPTION COURTS SHOULD FALL UNDER JUDICIARY – CHIFUMU BANDA

By GIDEON NYENDWA THE Fast Track Court on Corruption envisaged by Government should be within the high court as a division specialized in corruption cases because that is the only way it can be impartial and independent, former Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) vice president Chifumu Banda has said. Mr. Banda said as a …

By GIDEON NYENDWA THE Fast Track Court on Corruption envisaged by Government should be within the high court as a division specialized in corruption cases because that is the only way it can be impartial and independent, former Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) vice president Chifumu Banda has said. Mr. Banda said as a division in the High Court defendants would have an opportunity to appeal to the Court of Appeal and from Court of Appeal to the next court in the ladder. He said even if a person is dissatisfied with the judgement of the court they must know where to appeal to. Mr. Banda said it is important to ensure that people do not tag this as a court created to settle vendettas, if that is done then the court will be most welcome. From Page 1 He said creating a court division that would specialize in in corruption would be the best thing to do. Mr Banda said in an interview that if the government was really determined to create a special court, all they needed to do was to include it within the judicial system.  “To me that would be better,” he said. Mr Banda said the fast track court could be created as a division in the High Court like the way there is a family division, commercial division and the Industrial Relations Court as a division.  “By the same token they can easily create a special court on corruption,” he said. He also said that if the court will aim at targeting certain sections of the community then it will have a very bad reputation. President Hakainde Hichilema said when he opened the first session of the 13th National Assembly that his government will introduce specialised fast-track stolen assets recovery mechanisms and courts for corruption and economic crimes.