KATHMANDU, Nov 19: The Accountability Watch Committee (AWC) has raised concerns over the CIAA Act (Third Amendment) Bill-2076 BS, currently under review by the House of Representatives’ State Affairs and Good Governance Committee.
The AWC criticized provisions in the bill that would allow political decisions to shield acts of corruption from investigation, particularly those related to the powers of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
Awareness programme on 'Zero Tolerance against Corruption' held
In a press release issued by the Committee, it has called for the immediate removal of the controversial Section 4 (b) of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act, 2048, which permits certain corruption-related decisions to be classified as policy decisions rather than criminal actions. It also condemned proposed exemptions in the bill that would allow political corruption to be overlooked, undermining the country's commitment to good governance and anti-corruption principles.
In a strong statement, the committee emphasized that corruption, regardless of its political nature, must be subject to criminal investigation and prosecution, urging the federal and provincial governments to adopt a firm stance of zero tolerance for political corruption. The committee warned that the failure to act would perpetuate bad governance and undermine public trust in political institutions.
