By NORMA SIAME? –

AN actor-cum-musician and a business-executive have been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Kasama for graft involving K10,000.
Thomson Nswima, 46, an actor and musician of Sunrise Entertainment in Lusaka and George Mubanga, 37, of Chiba Village in Kasama were nabbed and jointly charged with two counts of corrupt practices by public bodies.
ACC public relations manager Timothy Moono in a statement released, said the duo was arrested after an operation in Kasama to confiscate suspected pirated products belonging to Sunrise Entertainment.
In the first count, Nswima and Mubanga on dates between September 17 and 22, this year solicited K10,000 and received K530 as part-payment from a named local business executive as an inducement.
This was to enable them facilitate for the release of two desktop computers and memory cards confiscated from the businessman and also work as harsh money to stop them from reporting the suspected act of piracy to police.
In count two, Nswima and Mubanga while acting together are alleged to have corruptly solicited K2,500 from the initial K10,000 and received K480 from a named person as a second payment as inducement for the release of two computers and accessories.
Meanwhile, the media has been urged to be diligent in monitoring and investigating the actions of people entrusted with the management of public resources as a way of preventing corruption and looting of State resources.
Northern Province Permanent Secretary Hlobotha Nkunika was speaking during the official opening of a media workshop for journalists facilitated by the ACC.
He said journalists need continued training to effectively play their role in bringing issues of corruption to the fore.
He said remedial action could only be taken if acts of graft were exposed by journalists adequately trained in investigating and spotting issues of corruption.
‘‘The media news content and ability to reach a wide audience are powerful tools for promoting behavioural change and plays a whistle-blowing role on the evils of society,’’ Mr Nkunika said.
The public’s reliance on the media for information meant that high levels of responsibility needed to be exercised by journalist when reporting on sensitive issues like corruption.
Mr Nkunika urged the journalists participating in the workshop to emerge with action-oriented resolve to write in-depth, well-researched stories initiated by themselves.