Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
OPPOSITION SENATOR Arthur Williams is demanding an immediate review of the Corruption Prevention Act, which he says is long overdue.
Making his contribution to the State of the Nation debate in the Senate Friday, Senator Williams said the law was enacted in May 2000 and should have undergone a review in May 2004.
"Today is February 10, we who made the law, have for almost two years, disobeyed the law, which requires that the legislation be reviewed," he argued.
ESTABLISHING A JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE OF PARLIAMENT
"I call upon the Leader of Government Business (Senator Burchell Whiteman) to immediately consult with the Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives (Dr. Peter Phillips), and to establish, during the course of next week, the Joint Select Committee of Parliament, which is to conduct the review of the Corruption (Prevention) Act," he said.
Senator Williams said the Corruption Prevention Commission was understaffed and could not exercise its functions effectively.
"The Commission is given one data entry clerk to enter 16,000 plus declarations," he said.
He also revealed that the Commission has had to hire five data entry clerks in order to be able to enter the information submitted up to December 31, 2003.
Meanwhile, the information for 2004 is just now being entered on the computer, he said
Senator Williams also noted that the work of the Commission is further impeded by the unnecessary amount of declarations received from public officials.
Senator Williams suggested that the law be amended to re-examine and reduce the categories of public officials that the Commission is required to monitor so that it can focus on those public officers whose positions expose them to bribery.
Senator Williams' call, for the review reinforces a similar call, made by Opposition Leader Bruce Golding in the House of Representatives last year.
The Corruption Prevention Act was established to give the Corruption Prevention Commission the powers to investigate acts of corruption among public officials.
