THE Anti-Corruption Agency is understood to be finalising investigations
involving some senior government officials in at least two ministries, as
mentioned in the recent Auditor-General’s report.
Once more, it is disappointing that more public officials have been implicated
in issues of graft. However, conscientious work by the ACA should make up for
some loss in confidence, esteem and morale that charges of corruption inevitably
bring.
It should not matter that senior officials have been implicated, other than the
obvious wastage of human resources implied. All public officials must always be
accountable to the public interest, and so long as the ACA conducts its
investigations professionally, its findings must be respected and acted upon.
Government officials know what is expected of them in the discharge of their
duties. They also know, or at least should know, that their actions must always
be above reproach and seen to be so. Anything less or suspect invites and
deserves an inquiry.
The current investigation concerns the overpricing of equipment purchased, and
covers the prospect of conflict of interest in the award of contracts for the
purchases. ACA investigations need to look into various related aspects to
ascertain the culpability of the individuals concerned.
If the charges are proven against these individuals, justice demands swift and
judicious action against them. But if the investigation clears any suspects,
their status should also be made clear. ACA actions must always be lawful and
ethical at every stage.
All proper investigations need to arrive at distinct, unambiguous findings.
There should not be any “grey areas” any more than “no go areas”, because the
ACA must not be impeded in its work. Any attempt to distract or deflect its
investigations is itself an offence.
In the process, the seniority of suspected individuals must never be an obstacle
to investigations or to sentencing upon conviction. On the contrary, the more
senior the public official who is charged and convicted, the more severe the
penalty should be.
Senior officials are not only expected to understand the consequences of their
actions better, they are also held in greater trust and esteem by colleagues and
the public. Natural justice requires stronger punitive and deterrent action
against their wrongdoing.
2012 Bar Council Subscription Click the link above to download Circular 072/2012 pertaining to the 2012 Bar Council subscription, including the payment guide and a set of Frequently-Asked-Questions.
2012 Hotel Corporate Rates Attending seminars? Going for a holiday? Click on the link above to check out the list of hotel corporate rates for Members of the Bar, which is updated regularly.
Bar Council Bookshop Read MORE … but pay LE$$! Members enjoy a 20% discount on LexisNexis publications at the Bar Council Bookshop. Click on the link above for the list of available titles.
International Malaysia Law Conference (26 to 28 Sept 2012) Hurry up! The countdown continues and the current promotion rate ends 30 June 2012. Don't miss what is going to be the best conference in the region! On top of that, if you sign up with 5 or more people from the same organisation, we will give you a 10% group discount. Click on the link above to register.
Talk on Summary Judgement (25 May 2012) Organised by the Selangor Bar Committee, this talk will take place at 5:00 pm, at the Selangor Bar Committee Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). The talk will be conducted by Ramesh Supramanian. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on Tax Issues in Financial Transactions (25 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar, featuring S Saravana Kumar, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Dialogue with Criminal Law Practitioners (26 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council, this dialogue will take place at 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, at the Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 26 May 2012 (Saturday). Click on the link above for more details.
Conference on Competition Law (31 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council with the support of LexisNexis, this conference will take place at 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, at Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, on 31 May 2012 (Thursday). For more details or to register, please contact Vilashini Vijayan (03-2050 2095; vila@malaysianbar.org.my). Click on the link above for more details.
Talk on What Clients Want (7 June 2012) Organised by the KL Bar Practitioners' Affairs Committee, the talk, presented by Ong Eu Jin, will take place at 5:00 pm, at the KL Bar Auditorium, on 7 June 2012 (Thursday). Click on the link above for more details.
4th LAWASIA Family Law Conference, Penang (13 and 14 July 2012) Supported by Penang Bar Committee and the Malaysian Bar, this conference, themed “The New Global Family: Emerging Trends and Challenges to Family Practice”, will take place at Traders Hotel, Penang, on 13 and 14 July 2012 (Friday and Saturday). Click on the link above for more details.
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