Basil: Exclude MPs
The National, Monday August 19th, 2013
By JUNIOR UKAHA
POLITICIANS should not be members of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Bulolo MP Sam Basil says.
The deputy Opposition leader said this during an anti-corruption forum at the Lae International Hotel in Morobe after the ICAC technical working committee had proposed in a presentation that the PM, the Opposition leader and police commissioner should be included in the commission.
“The prime minister and opposition leader must not control the ICAC,” Basil said.
“These are the people we are trying to investigate. We can’t let them run the organisation.”
Basil said the proposed ICAC should be independent of any political influence and must be run by the people of Papua New Guinea.
Members of the ICAC technical working group were in Lae to gauge views from the public.
Basil said during his six years in parliament, he had heard politicians saying they had access to office of the Ombudsman Commission, public prosecutor and the police anti-corruption directorate.
“They will tell you that they have contacts in there that can help slow down cases,” Basil said.
He said ICAC should be given powers to work with Interpol to investigate high-profile corruption cases involving locals and foreigners.
He said the commission must have the power to recover money and properties obtained through corrupt deals.
Basil said it must also have powers to work with financial institutions to recoup things obtained corruptly.