Trawen gives MPs deadline

 By SHIRLYN BELDEN 

THE Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates Commission has given 14 Members of Parliament until the end of next month to submit their election returns. 

Commission chairman Andrew Trawen said they would be referred to the Ombudsman Commission if they failed to meet that deadline. They will then be charged under the Leadership Code. 

Trawen urged the 14 MPs to immediately provide their reports and pay their fines by end of next month.

According to the Organic Law on compliance, political parties which have MPs are required to provide annual returns and for their MPs to provide election returns to the commission. 

Trawen said the 14 MPs had not submitted anything, including their fines of K2,000 which was due in March. 

“The action the commission would take on the 14 MPs is to refer them to the Ombudsman Commission for misconduct in office,” he said. 

He also said 11 others submitted their reports late but had paid their fines. Seven had not submitted at all but paid their late fines.

“The commission (IPPCC) is concerned with these three categories of MPs,” he said. 

To date, 11 political parties have provided their returns on time, three submitted late but paid fines, 15 submitted late but have not paid fines and 19 have not submitted at all. 

Parties which had fully complied with providing returns are qualified to get funding assistance of K10,000 through their MPs.