2006-12-05 09:44:06
By Judica Tarimo
Officials in the public and private sectors who are involved in grand corruption and looting of public resources will have their foreign bank accounts frozen and properties confiscated, once the review of the anti-corruption law is completed.
The draft bill is ready. The government is finalising formalities for its approval before it is tabled in Parliament, the Minister of State in the President Office (Good Governance), Philip Marmo, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
’’Preparatory processes have been completed?the bill will be presented to the cabinet for preliminary approval this week,’’ said Marmo in an exclusive interview at the anti-corruption forum in Dar es Salaam.
The minister spoke after officiating at the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plans II (NACSAP II).
After the cabinet approval, he said, the bill would be tabled in Parliament for deliberations and final endorsement, before being assented to by the President to become law.
Once it becomes law, it will contain provisions that will take to task corrupt government officials and other people involved in grand corruption, theft of public properties and resources, and international crime.
The new law will seal loopholes used by people employed in the public service and the private sector who steal and deposit government money in bank accounts outside the country.
’’With this legislation, we freeze their accounts and confiscate their suspected ill-gotten wealth, pending completion of investigations,’’ said Marmo.
Anti-corruption crusaders described the document as a fresh government resolve to crack down on grand corruption, which has cost the country billions of shillings.
Current anti-corruption laws could hardly touch big shots black listed by the anti-corruption watchdog.
”Big shots involved in corrupt acts will face a difficult situation once the law becomes operational,” said Marmo, without providing more details.
The new legislation encompasses international conventions against transnational crimes, corruption, money laundering and related practices.
The new document incorporates the Southern African Development Cooperation (SADC), African Union (AU), United Nations conventions and other international agreements on corruption and related vices.
’’These are new components in the country’s anti-corruption law. We are faced with difficulties in punishing people stealing money within the country and depositing it in foreign bank accounts,’’ said the minister, ’’such cases can easily be handled and the stolen money recovered.’’
Earlier, the Chairman of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Elvis Msiba, said developing new anti-corruption legislation was useless if the anti-corruption watchdog has no teeth to bite.
’’We cannot win the war if senior government officials and others in the private sector are suspected to be corrupt but left untouched. Let’s take it seriously, and make sure that law bites the culprits,’’ said Musiba.
Speaking at the same occasion, the Chairman of the Media Owners Association of Tanzania, Reginald Mengi, pushed for enactment of a law to protect whistleblowers as a strategy of intensifying the fight against corruption.
’’Whistleblowers need protection?and their information on corrupt people should be treated as confidential.
Disclosure of sources of information will amount to silencing free speech and corruption cover up,’’ said Mengi.
He challenged the government to act timely on bribery scandals exposed by the media in a drive to crack down on grand corruption in government circles and the private sector.
’’Timely action by relevant state organs in relation to corruption scandals exposed by the media will prove the government’s resolve to eradicate bribery and build government credibility,’’ Mengi said.
SOURCE: Guardian
http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2006/12/05/79737.html
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment