Fighting corruption: A lesson from South Korea

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye handcuffed ready to face the music

          South Korea recently stunned the world; entering history books for being among countries that unpityingly deal with corruption regardless who’s implicated. Former president Park Geun-hye was booted out of office after allegedly allowing her consigliore, Choi Soon-sil to misuse her office to illicitly mint and print money.

Choi–also behind bars–used her amity with Park to strong-arm companies to furtively donate money to her low-down Non-Governmental Organisation many wives of the presidents or consigliore use nowadays in their voracity for illegal opulence. One time, Samsung donated US$ 69M to Choi’s outfit.

Park’s hove to the prison waiting for her case to be determined along with her consigliore Choi. The CTV (March 30^th, 2017) reports that when she arrived at the prison, an opponent held up a mock laudatory ribbon with flowers that read “Park Geun-hye, congratulations for entering prison. Come out as a human being after 30 years.” The treatment was different from our big sacred cows–the raja recently said–are not supposed to be touched or punished for their clutter.

If Park were an African raja, would have been at home lampooning those baying for her blood. She’d even have the guts of ordering their arrest if not incarceration. The difference however is that nobody’s above the law in South Korea. They know too well. Once a bin-Adam’s above the law, s/he’ll become corrupt through and through knowingly; nobody’ll make him or her face the music. In Africa, power’s about who bears it to rake in some money; not alone but also his family members, courtiers, major domos and whomever she’s pleased with. Essentially, the country’s like a private estate when it comes to [mis] managing it.

No doubt. Tanzania’s currently engrossed in multiple mega-billion scams either involving the rajas or their righthand persons geared by greed, ignorance, malice and whatnot. We've already heard some warnings that untouchables should not be impugned even verbally. Ironically, the raja–that did what many feared the most–seems to start contradicting himself thinking he can serve two masters, former rajas and hoi polloi. Tanzania’s decision to take on exploitative investors head on attracted many feelings some questioning the rationale of dealing with small fish by sparing sharks. Other congratulated to the extent that it became incongruously monotonous. they said; the raja’s, at least, tried while opponent argue that he’s not doing things scientifically because the laws that pulled the country in this enmeshment are still intact not to mention bogus pacts entered. Further, detractors demand that the process of resuscitating the New Draft Constitution should be rejuvenated in order to enable the country to have legal tools to deal with mega graft. For instance, how do you fight mega graft while you've the raja that’s above the law; thus immunised from his or her criminal acts?

Ideal examples can be drawn from recent raja’s outbursts that nobody should touch his predecessors. When Kilombero MP (CHADEMA) Peter Lijualikali woofed for their blood, the speaker of the august house, Job Ndugai presaged him that the opposition he’s speaking from has two former PMs whose dirty linens are known to the ruling party. Ironically, Ndugai forgot; PMs don’t enjoy immunity like their bosses. He’s lucky. Had it been in South Korea, he’d have paid dearly. He too, forgot; sham infallibility’s the root cause of countries endowed with hungous precious resources become poor and beggars because of such bêtes noirs. Singida East MP (CHADEMA) Tundu Lissu didn't beat around the bush. He said that the contracts under scrutiny were signed by LTC. Jakaya Kikwete on 5^th August, 1994; and he then didn't have any immunity; which also applies today as far as criminal liabilities committed before one becomes an anointed aren't covered under presidential immunity. Again, who’ll bell the cat this time around? Had it been in South Korea no stone would have been left unturned?

Source: The Citizen Wed., today.