|
Bill excludes political corruption, MPs say
2007-04-14 09:43:04
By Juma Thomas, Dodoma
Members of Parliament want corruption in politics and in religious institutions to be included in the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bill, 2007, if the war on the social vice is to be won.
Debating the Bill in Parliament yesterday, the MPs said the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau should be given powers to deal with corruption in every sector of life.
Dr Guido Sigonda (Songwe, CCM) said corruption in politics should be added in section 7 of the Bill, which provides for the functions of the Bureau.
``The Bureau should not be confined to certain types of corruption alone. It should be left free to operate in any area which can attract corruption,`` he said, adding that the Bill did not say anything about corruption in politics.
He said even in some religious institutions, the Bureau has to venture into them, adding that some religious leaders were living questionable lives worth being investigated by the Bureau.
``Sometimes I wonder where some religious leaders get the money to file court cases every day. I think the Bureau should be given powers to touch every institution,`` he said.
The MP said corruption in politics was tearing the society apart. ``Today if you have no money, you can not contest in any political post. This is dangerous.
And this is what I expected this Bill to spell out, but to my surprise, the Bill is silent on this type of corruption,`` he said.
He also said that section 5 of the Bill which states that the Bureau shall be an independent public body contradicts with section 10 that bars the Bureau`s Director General from carrying on investigations or prosecution until directed by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Presenting the Opposition’s views on the Bill, the Shadow Minister in the President`s Office (Good Governance) Shoka Hamis Juma (Micheweni, CUF) said excluding corruption in politics would make the whole Bill meaningless as far as fighting corruption was concerned.
``I don`t see the reason why the government is hesitating to state in the Bill that one of the functions of the Corruption Bureau is to investigate corruption in politics. What is so special in this area?`` he asked.
Dr Wilbroad Slaa (Karatu, Chadema) said it was an open secret that corruption in politics was rampant. He wondered why the government was not serious about this vice.
``I expected this kind of corruption to have been given the seriousness it deserves, but I am seeing the contrary. The government wants the people to believe that all is well in politics, which is not the case,`` he said.
The Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitution, Legal and Public Administration Tatu Ntimizi (Igalula, CCM) said that the Bill did not give a wider definition of corruption to cover other areas, including the political arena.
She said the law that required civil servants to surrender gifts that exceeded 50,000/- to their employers should be amended as many had been violating it by taking the gifts themselves.
Ntimizi also said the Bureau should also be given power to investigate gifts given to parastatals and other public institutions by donors, saying some gifts smelled corruption.
The Bill proposes the enactment of the law to replace the Prevention of Corruption Act, Cap. 329, as one of the measures to ward off corrupt elements in the society.
The proposed law intends to provide wider investigative powers to the Bureau, including the ability to deal with offences other than those stipulated in the current law.
|
