Monday Oct 07, 2024
Monday Oct 07, 2024
Wednesday, 30 July 2014 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The main theme of the discussions had been on the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption: Challenge and Opportunity, with subtopics on (1) Anti-corruption Agencies in a Changing World: Independence, Accountability and Transparency, (2) Striking Tigers as Well as Flies: Non-selective Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement, (3) Key Prevention Strategies: Tone at the Top, Political Reform and Public Participation, and (4) Private Sector Roles in Fighting Corruption, especially in Corruption Prevention and Investigation. The participants had had a full day’s deliberations in Beijing and a working discussion in the Prosecution Office of Tianjin Municipality, with demonstrations on China’s methods and techniques of investigating and prosecuting cases of fraud and corruption.
The deliberations had dealt with the difficulties faced by Anti-Corruption Agencies in different countries in taking action against those holding high political office, whilst they are in Office, including the powerful and influential elites.
The general consensus had been that the action by civil society, as provided for in the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, was the remedy and the way forward. Though developing countries are perceived to be high in corruption, the discussions had dealt with developed countries corrupting developing countries and providing ‘havens’ for refuge and for stashing away stolen resources of the developing countries and making profits therefrom.
IAACA had been inaugurated in Beijing, in October 2006 by the then Chinese President Hu Jintao to promote and facilitate the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, which had come into force in December 2005, now with 171 countries having ratified the same and become parties thereto. The United Nations recently set-up the UN Anti-Corruption Academy in Vienna, to educate those persons involved in combating fraud and corruption, affording an opportunity of gaining a Master’s Degree on the subject of investigating and combating fraud and corruption. It is evident that the international political community is being reluctantly pushed towards combating fraud and corruption at the highest levels due to public agitations, as recently witnessed in neighbouring India, who ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in May 2011, only after a public outcry.
The present Chinese President, Xi Jinping has made it China’s top policy to combat rampant fraud and corruption at the highest levels, with the slogan ‘Striking Tigers as Well as Flies’: ‘Non-selective Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement’, with emphasis on the ‘Tone at the Top, Political Reform and Public Participation’. Chinese prosecution authorities are therefore investigating both Chinese and foreign companies engaged in fraud, corruption and embezzlement, without any exception.
Sri Lanka though having been the second country to have ratified in March 2004 the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and become a party thereto, has regretfully for some mysterious reason not participated in the last two United Nations State Parties Conferences held to review the progress being made by countries on the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
This reveals Sri Lanka’s indifference to combating fraud and corruption, particularly at the highest socio-political levels. It had been pointed out that SAARC Countries, whilst lamenting on the pathetic levels of poverty in the region, had failed to address in the SAARC Agenda, the main cause therefor, which is widespread fraud and corruption pillaging the resources of the poor.
Nihal has been an Individual Member of IAACA since its inauguration in 2006, participating in all Annual Conferences and has been actively engaged in combating fraud and corruption at the highest socio-political levels. Recently he has completed authoring a series of 13 books on real case studies, published and marketed by a US publisher distributed to the global market. Nihal was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the International Consortium on Governmental Financial Management based in the US.
