Transparency International asks Livingstone Mayor, Muleabai, to resign from office despite acquittal by court

Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) has called on Livingstone Mayor Constance Muleabai to resign on moral grounds following her acquittal in a corruption case in which the court frowned at poor handling of the case by the prosecuting team. TI-Z Executive Director, Maurice Nyambe, alleged that the court found Muleabai’s public conduct improper and that this should compel her to step down because she could no longer inspire public confidence in the execution of her duties. In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, Nyambe said: “TI-Z acknowledges and respects the decision of the court, which was grounded on established principles of criminal justice, particularly the requirement that the prosecution must prove every element of an offence beyond reasonable doubt,” he said.

Nyambe added that the court correctly resolved reasonable doubt in favour of Muleabai after finding discrepancies between the particulars of the charge and the evidence presented. However, he stressed that although the legal outcome had been determined, TI-Z remained concerned about the serious integrity issues arising from the facts established during the trial. “From an integrity and accountability standpoint, the receipt of such funds by a public office bearer—regardless of the technical shortcomings in the prosecution’s case—raises legitimate public concern,” Nyambe stated.

He noted that public officials were entrusted with authority to serve the public interest, and that their conduct must always reflect the highest ethical standards. He emphasized that integrity was not measured solely by what is criminally punishable but also by whether an official’s actions inspired public confidence and upheld honesty, impartiality, and transparency. Nyambe further argued that acquittal on legal grounds did not automatically equate to ethical clearance.

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“The confirmed receipt of money connected to an official function places the integrity of the office in question and undermines public trust in local governance institutions,” he said. He added that such situations highlighted the need for robust ethical safeguards, effective internal controls, and proactive accountability systems within public institutions. Given the circumstances of the case as outlined by the court, Nyambe said TI-Z found it difficult to understand why Muleabai should continue holding office from an ethical standpoint, even though she was legally cleared. He said the case also underscored the need for stronger investigative and prosecutorial processes, including proper framing of charges and alignment of indictments with available evidence, to prevent corruption cases from collapsing due to technicalities.

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