Graft Watch Dog Gets More Tip-Offs
By Hadi DP Mahmud BERAKAS

Bandar Seri Begawan - The number of corruption tip-offs received by the Anticorruption Bureau (ACB) has increased annually, reaching 244 leads last year.

According.., to statistics obtained from the bureau, there has been an annual rise of eight cases on average from 2003 to last year.

I low ever, only 17.21 per cent of the leads received last year by the ACB merited further investigation, while nearly a third needed initial follow-ups to prove allegations received. A quarter of the tip-offs received were either too vague or had little indication pointing to "elements of corruption

The public sector accounted for most of the corruption cases recorded, said acting deputy director of ACB Abang Kifrawi OKPSD Abang Abu Hanifah.

"This is due to the fact (that) in most cases, it's the civil servants who are at the receiving end," he said.

Abang Kifrawi explained that government and private employees are exposed to corruption especially when red tape allows room for discretion on certain decisions that could lead to graft.

The acting deputy revealed that members of the public have confidence that the information received by the bureau will be dealt with accordingly.

"Other bits of information with no relation to corruption cases that we receive, no matter how trivial it is, will be forwarded to the relevant authorities. The corruption-related bits will be sent to our Complaints Evaluation Committee," he said.

Statistics from the ACB showed that the bureau received 33.2 per cent of the total number of complaints in 2006 through `agents or sources', the biggest contributor to ACB's information database. The corruption watchdog received 19.67 per cent of the information through letters and other methods of correspondence and 19.26 per cent through people who personally came to the bureau to report the allegations.

The agency turns 25 years old today, and will be celebrating its silver jubilee on March 26 and 28 at Rizqun Hotel in Gadong and the Oil, Gas and Discovery Centre in Seria respectively.

A doa kesyukuran and tahlil will be held this evening at the Mohammad Bolkiah Mosque in Kg Serusop, Berakas.

Through the silver jubilee celebrations, the bureau hopes to increase public awareness and understanding of the dangers of corruption and its consequences if no action is taken to prevent it. Abang Kifrawi emphasised the importance of the agency's 25-year tenure in combating corruption in the sultanate, and that ACB will make clear its seriousness and concern in rooting out the corruption menace. "We have fulfilled the demands of United Nations Convention against Corruption and Ape’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Experts Task Force initiatives," he said, placing importance on close cooperation at both regional and international level to combat corruption as a social menace.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau was set up on February 1, 1982 under the Emergency Order (prevention of corruption) 1981. The 1981 Act is now known as Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Act gives extensive authority to the agency to fight graft and investigate several offences under the penal code.

The agency has implemented measures and methods in raising public awareness. Among those recently introduced include Radio Televisyen Brunei's drama production "Code 486" and the implementation of anti corruption education in the national school curriculum. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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