Parliament has approved setting up a special prosecution to investigate financial crimes involving public funds.
The proposed legislation aims to establish a special prosecution to handle cases referred by the Administrative and Financial Audit Bureau, government bodies and anyone filing complaints about squandering of public money, embezzlements, bribes or misuse and theft of public money.
All 33 MPs, out of the country’s 40 legislators, who were present at yesterday’s weekly session voted in favour of the proposal, which has been referred to the Cabinet, which has six months to draft it into a formal legislation and resubmit it to the National Assembly for a vote.
During debate, MP Zainab Abdulamir caused a stir when she deviated from discussing the proposal to accusing senior government officials of committing violations.
“Over the years we have seen lower ranked employees be blamed while the big shots have immunity, so we hope that when the new prosecution is formed it will deal with these violators seriously and not turn into an empty building,” she said.
“It is unacceptable that the same ministers involved, year in and year out, in the same violations mentioned in the bureau’s annual reports are being reappointed from one ministry or government body to the other – this is a huge public problem that we can’t stay quiet about.
“If a scandal becomes public then these ministers are given a business class ticket to London, and there are many there now despite being involved in numerous corruption cases.”
However, she was interrupted by Parliament chairwoman Fouzia Zainal, who asked her to focus on the topic at hand, but the former refused to oblige and demanded the speaker to listen to her comments.
Other MPs joined in, with legislation and legal affairs committee vice-chairman explaining the proposal was not about individual cases.
“My sister Zainab is accusing several senior government officials of being corrupt while continuing to represent the government and no one here is stopping her,” said Dr Al Nuaimi, who presented the proposal along with four other MPs.
“However, her cases are irrelevant as we are speaking about a specific prosecution and not individual cases.”
Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainain also demanded Ms Abdulamir present solid evidence against any violator instead of making unsubstantiated comments in parliament.
“If Zainab is suspicious about particular ministers or the selection of ministers then she has to declare that rather than making throwaway comments,” he said.
“Last term I asked for evidence against ministers or senior officials from the same MP and she never presented anything – give me the names of those who fled the country out of the rule of law.”
Following debate, a unanimous vote was taken to pass the proposal.
The Supreme Judicial Council told Parliament in writing that it was already studying ways to introduce a specialised prosecution to deal with crimes involving public money and harming the national economy.
Reject
Meanwhile, during yesterday’s session, MPs also voted in favour of a mutual taxation agreement with Egypt and joining new updated conditions under the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
Parliament also voted to reject amendments to the 2012 Private Sector Employment Law that would have obliged payments into bank accounts, on the basis that this was already being implemented.
All three legislations have been referred to the Shura Council for study.
Amendments that would have allowed people in debt with court orders against them to lodge an appeal have been postponed for two weeks following a request by Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, who said the proposal needed extensive review.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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