By Staff Reporter

Rights activists have called on the Chief Justice Rezine Mzikamanda to speed up the establishment of the Financial Crimes Court to swiftly deal with a possible trial ofbVice President Saulos Chilima and 83 other suspects embroiled in the Sattar corruption allegations.

The graft busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) named the 84, who include Chilima, former police Inspector General George Kainja, former ACB director Reyneck Matemba, some judges, lawyers, politicians and journalists.

The individuals mentioned are suspected to have received huge sums of money and other gifts from corruption kingpin Zuneth Sattar to influence award of government contracts.

In an interview Church and Society Executive Director Moses Mkandawire said there was urgent need to establish the special Financial Crimes Court to deal with these issues, arguing that the current courts cannot swiftly deal with the cases.

He said the establishment of the court has dragged for long.

Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency Executive Director Willy Kambwandira, on the other hand, wants Chilima to step aside for his alleged involvement in the Sattar corruption scheme to allow independent investigations to commence.

Charles Kajoloweka of Youth and Society concurs with Kambwandira, saying it will be difficult to investigate the public officers when they are still holding their offices.

Kajoloweka demanded either the firing or resignation of all public officers named in the Sattar corruption allegations.

Kajoloweka argued that their alleged involvement in the state-capture level of corruption erodes their public trust.