EACC Partners With Anti-corruption Authorities In Eastern Africa To Enhance Asset Recovery

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) participated in the 17th   Executive Committee (EXCOM) meeting of the East African Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (EAAACA) meeting on the 19th of February 2018 and the 11th Annual General Meeting from 21st to 22nd February, 2018 at Elilly International Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting bore the theme “Strengthening Asset Recovery Initiatives to Enhance Regional Economic Growth” and was hosted by the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (FEACC) of Ethiopia.

This meeting was attended by EAAACA members from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda and South Sudan. The Zanzibar Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Authority (ZAECA) was also in attendance. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) initiative and the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) were represented at the meeting.

The AGM was officially opened by H.E. Mr. Yalew Abate, the Speaker of the House of Federation of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. While delivering his keynote address, H.E. Mr. Abate informed participants that African countries have renewed their commitment to join hands in fighting corruption in the continent by launching the year 2018 as the African Anti-Corruption Year in the African Union’s 30th Assembly of Heads of State and Government that was held in Addis Ababa in January 2018.

He further stated that the Ethiopian Government believed that the active participation of all stakeholders, including the civil society, Government organizations, the private sector, political parties, professional associations and the media in the struggle against corruption will speed up the eradication of corruption.

While speaking during the opening ceremony, the EAAACA President Mr. Valentino Mlowola, who is also the Director General of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) of Tanzania, said that international anti-corruption networks facilitate dialogue amongst agencies that provide real operational results. He added that these networks are very crucial in coordinating our activities, one of the key areas being the facilitation of Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA), which is important in asset recovery. “We are then able to trace stolen assets across the borders and also apprehend the culprits,” said Mr. Mlowola.

Further, Mr. Mlowola said that there was need to put in place mechanisms that will enable respective agencies trace assets across the region adding that “one of our goals should be to have laws that will inhibit the corrupt from enjoying the proceeds of corruption.”

The EACC delegation was led by the Commission Secretary / CEO, Mr. Halakhe D. Waqo. During the meeting, Mr. Waqo, for Kenya, was elected for the position of Vice-President, a position he will hold for the next two years.

The Executive Committee’s proposed some resolutions that were passed by the Annual General Meeting as outlined in the Communiquéof the 11th Annual General Meeting of the East Africa Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities held at Elilly International Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 21st to 22nd February, 2018.

Alongside this meeting, the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network for Eastern Africa (), held its 3rd AGM at the same venue on 20th of February, 2018. The ARIN-EA was established by EAAACA to support the Association in the area of Asset Recovery. It brought together Focal Points from EAAACA member countries. Kenya was represented by Focal Points from EACC and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

The opening ceremony was officiated by the EAAACA President Mr. Valentino Mlowola who said that this year’s theme, “Strengthening Asset Recovery Initiatives to Enhance Regional Economic Growth”, was arrived at because asset recovery is high on the global agenda and that, we, in the region, “should also have it high on our agenda.” He urged the ARIN-EA Focal Points to come up with strategies on how to effectively trace assets within the region.

By Corporate Communications Department 
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission