Ombudsman clarifies differences with OC, Icac

THE Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) Bill currently before Parliament will not encroach on the work of the Ombudsman Commission (OC), an official says.
Acting chief ombudsman Richard Pagen said this when answering questions related to the establishment of Icac.
Pagen said Icac would not affect the operations of the Ombudsman Commission as it were different entities.
“The Ombudsman Commission was also part of the drafting of the Icac Bill,” he said.
“We know exactly how it is going to work unless there were changes done before it was debated in Parliament.”
Pagen said the difference between Icac and the OC was that Icac, when established, would deal with cases involving leaders that were criminal in nature.
He said the OC on the other hand dealt with compliance issues involving bodies under the Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership.
Pagen said the roles of the Icac and the OC were complementary rather than a duplication or encroachment.