Taiwan’s Legislature passed the Anti-corruption Administration Act April 1, clearing the way for a new crime-fighting agency to be set up under the Ministry of Justice.
“The unit will be tasked with investigating and prosecuting cases of corruption,” MOJ Minister Tseng Yung-fu said. “We expect it to be up and running in July at the earliest.”
According to Tseng, the organization will also be responsible for formulating, coordinating and promoting the country’s anti-corruption policies. “In addition, it is tasked with supervising the ethics divisions of various government agencies,” he said.
Comprising 240 investigators and prosecutors, the corruption watchdog will be formed from the MOJ Department of Government Ethics.
In response to concerns that the role of the new agency will overlap with that of the MOJ Investigation Bureau, Tseng said there is a clear separation of duties between the two organizations.
“The agency will focus on fighting corruption within government departments and councils while the bureau tackles financial crimes such as corporate embezzlement and breach of trust,” Tseng said. (JSM)
Write to Elaine Hou at elainehou@mail.gio.gov.tw