By Faris Al-Qahtani
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
RIYADH – The National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha) has stated that lack of an executive bylaws, limited powers and inordinate delay in issuing verdicts on corruption cases were obstructing its mission and called for corrective measures to make it an effective organization.
In its latest report, obtained by Okaz/Saudi Gazette, the commission revealed the difficulties it faces in carrying out its mission, including non completion of Nazaha’s organizational set up, most importantly the executive bylaw formation .
“Our powers are limited to checking corrupt practices in government projects,” a Nazaha official spelling out the obstacles, Nazaha said the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency does not respond positively to its request to check suspicious personal bank accounts of individuals. The delay in giving a verdict on graft cases by investigative and judicial bodies was another major issue that hampers the commission’s activities, the official added.
The commission also accused some government departments and agencies of noncooperation in providing information and documents required by the organization within 30 days.
Nazaha has not yet received the final verdicts on previous corruption cases. Second paragraph of Article 3 of the commission’s bylaw restricts its activities to investigating financial and administrative corruption related to operation and maintenance contracts.
“The commission’s bylaw has not given a definition for corruption. It covers only those private companies in which the state has 25 percent stake,” the official said. The bylaw has also failed to explain the executive role of relevant agencies toward implementing the national anti-graft strategy.
The law has not approved the defamation punishment and did not enable the commission to build a database on corruption.
It is also not allowed to publish corruption cases.
On the other hand, the commission has submitted several proposals to overcome the above mentioned obstacles, the official said, adding that it has called for the completion of organizational matters such as setting out of its executive bylaw.
Nazaha demanded immediate response from authorities that supervise financial, monetary and banking activities to provide necessary information required by the organization and give access to bank accounts and real estate properties of suspected individuals and firms.
The commission must be provided with copies of the final judgments issued by courts on financial and administrative corruption cases. It must be given the authority to investigate various practices involving financial and administrative corruption in the bodies under its jurisdiction.
The commission will seek the assistance of competent authorities and take necessary measures to set out general frameworks. Its bylaw must define financial and administrative corruption and include a statement on the most important corrupti practices as defined by the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and the Arab Convention against Corruption.
This was required to make the subject clear to the public and encourage them to inform the commission about corrupt practices that take place around them. It will also remove any confusion regarding overlapping of the terms of reference of the commission with other bodies.
Nazaha seeks to expand the scope of its jurisdiction to include public entities in the state, companies whose shares have been owned by the state, public shareholding companies, private institutions and associations of public interest, civil society institutions, private companies and institutions that contract with entities within the commission’s jurisdiction and natural and legal persons involved in the crime.
