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Prez, ambassadors to declare assets under new Anti-Corruption Bill
The new Anti-Corruption Bill, if enacted, will provide for the president, the provincial governors and members, the ambassadors, the high commissioners and the members of the independent commissions to declare assets to the proposed independent commission to be set up to investigate bribery and corruption, a Minister said yesterday.
They are not covered under current law for asset declaration.
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told Daily Mirror the bill, already announced in the gazette notification, would be presented to Parliament during the next parliamentary week.
The bill, if enacted by Parliament, will provide for the establishment of a new commission to investigate bribery and corruption in place of the present commission. The Minister said the proposed three member commission would be all powerful to prosecute anyone accused of bribery and corruption.
“The current asset declaration law provides for the MPs to declare their assets to the Speaker, the Cabinet Ministers to the president and the government officials to their heads of departments. The new law will provide for them to declare assets to the proposed bribery commission,” he said.
Besides, the Minister said there are special provisions in the bill to protect whistleblowers.
“Today, government officials are reluctant to report about the misconduct of their superiors fearing reprisals. The new law will have special safeguards for them,” he said.
The enactment of such a piece of legislation is also a condition stipulated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to approve the US $ 2. 9 billion programme.(Kelum Bandara)
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