NACC seeks life ban for false asset filings
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THE NATIONAL Anti-Corruption Commission is seeking a lifetime - instead of a five-year - ban for politicians filing a false financial declaration.
Sansern Poljiak, secretary-general of the NACC, said yesterday that Provision 12 is one of 28 in the draft bill that would come up for first reading in the National Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
The provision states that if the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office finds politicians guilty of reporting false assets or debts or failing to report their assets from holding political posts in regard to their declarations as required by law, they would be deprived of their right to hold political posts for the rest of their life.
Provision 19 shuts a loophole in the law that allows suspects to flee the country and return after their statute of limitations expires.
The provision states that the period of time that suspects escape prosecution would not be counted.
“This way, if they do not want to face prosecution and want to escape the arm of the law, they must run for all their life,’’ he said.
Provision 18 seeks to give NACC operatives the same enforcement authority as police officers to apprehend suspects when they fail to report by the time given in a summons or they are wanted under a court-approved arrest warrant.
Now the NACC has to depend on police to go after suspects.
“Many times we know the whereabouts of the suspects but we do not have the power to arrest them, as we have to coordinate with police. This is a loophole that enables suspects to escape,’’ he said.
The bill would let NACC agents carry firearms when making arrests and also receive the same self-defence and weapons-shooting training that the police get at the Police Academy.
