The proposed Anti-corruption Administration Act passed first reading in Taiwan’s Legislature Dec. 9, signaling the government’s commitment to building a culture of integrity in the conduct of public and private business.
“The new anti-corruption agency is the option of last resort in rooting out cases of bribery and graft,” Justice Minister Tseng Yung-fu said. “If everything goes smoothly, it should be up and running by April next year.”
According to the draft law, the corruption watchdog will be formed from the Department of Government Employee Ethics under the Ministry of Justice. Existing staff numbers are set to rise from 65 to 240 following the recruitment of investigators and prosecutors. In addition, a judicial pro bono committee will be appointed to review investigations if complaints of impropriety are made against the agency.
Although the initiative has been welcomed by the public, some lawmakers question whether there is a need for the agency, arguing that it might overlap with the MOJ’s Investigation Bureau and the Special Investigation Division under the Supreme Prosecutors Office.
Kuomintang legislators Chen Chieh and Lai Shyh-bao also expressed doubts over the effectiveness of combating corruption with a mishmash of agencies performing identical functions.
But Tseng played down these concerns, claiming that any interagency disputes over jurisdiction would be resolved by the Supreme Prosecutors Office. “This will ensure there is no confusion when it comes to getting this important job done,” he said. (JSM)