KABUL (SW) – A number of civil and legal institutions claimed last week at a news conference in Kabul that the new anti-corruption law passed by the government was distorted by certain groups in the presidential palace.
According to them, in the ninth article of the new law approved by the cabinet, the selection committee was supposed to have 13 representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations, but later the representatives of civil and legal institutions were removed it.
However, officials from the special anti-corruption tribunal told a presser here on Sunday that the civil society organizations have been removed from the selection committee due to the lack of work experience with the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Yama Torabi, head of the special anti-corruption tribunal, said the government does not want to ignore the role of civil society institutions, and these institutions and the international community have a supervisory role.
On the other hand, Mohammad Haroon Mutasem, head of legal affairs at the directorate general for the office of the president, said the Anti-Corruption Commission is an independent entity, and its independence is guaranteed in the Anti-Corruption Act.
According to him, in the second clause of Article 14 of the law, it is stated that if a member of the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission has acquired membership of a political party or is assigned another public job in the course, he/ she must resign from the commission.
According to civil institutions, in the law issued in the Official Gazette, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has been appointed as the chairman of the selection committee and the Prosecutor General as well as the head of the Independent Directorate of Administrative Reforms along with 10 representatives of civil society as its members.
ENDS
