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Cabinet approves tough amendments to combat corruption, money laundering
View(s):The Cabinet has approved amendments to seven Acts in a bid to strengthen laws on money laundering and corruption . Accordingly, the Bribery or Corruption Act, the Bribery Act, the Money Laundering Act, the Presidential Investigation Commission Act, the Court of Criminal Procedures Act, the Assets and Liabilities Act and the Special Presidential Commission Act are set to be amended.
The proposed amendments were based on recommendations from the Bribery Commission.The commission’s proposals have recommended that those found guilty of offences relating to money laundering and assets declaration should be stripped of their civic rights, denied employment in the state sector and barred from contesting elections.
The proposals also seek to bring private sector employees and those working for international NGO’s under bribery and corruption laws. In terms of the proposed amendments, soliciting profit or gains or grants in international businesses or possessing ownership of such enterprises and soliciting sexual bribes will be considered as an offence.
The proposed amendments will enable the vesting of property in question in courts at the beginning of cases to prevent the transfer of property while the case is ongoing. At present the practice is to confiscate property only at the conclusion of the case.