Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has announced the establishment of new office which is in charge of investigating special corruption cases.
The new office, which operates under the federal police commission, will investigate individuals and organizations suspected of engaging in grand corruption cases.
The PM announced the establishment of the new office today while briefing journalists about the current state of affairs in the nation in his office.
According to the PM, the government has restructured the organization of the federal police in a manner that fits the corruption cases the country is faced with. The new office is organized like the Federal Investigation Bureau of the USA, he said.
The Investigation Bureau will thoroughly investigate grand corruption cases once a tip is provided by concerned citizens. The office will be further strengthened with appropriate labor force and equipment, said the PM.
The Premier noted the investigation bureau has already established an information technology mechanism that can ensure the participation of the public at large in tipping corruption cases.
Accordingly, any concerned citizen and the media can provide tangible tips to make accountable those involved in corrupt acts including sitting officials, he said.
Any official suspected of corruption will face two measures if the act is proved right, one is administrative measure while the other is a legal one, said the PM.
PM Hailemariam underlined that the guiding principle behind the establishment of the investigation office is to deepen transparency throughout the government bureaucracy while conducting public businesses.
The PM, who announced the beginning a movement to deeply reform the rulig party, said that his party’s commitment to correct a wrong mindset which believes that the peak of a political power is embezzlement and finally corruption should be effective.
“That is why we strongly say political power is a means to fulfill the will and aspiration of the public who gave us the political power but not a means to enrich one self,” unequivocally underlined the PM.
“That is why the party has been removing from office many of its comrades recently,” he added.
According to the PM, due to the complex nature of the corruptions committed a professional investigation in to it is mandatory. As a result of such a process, few have been removed from their post while others are under investigation. Some of them have been formally charged while other are on the pipeline, he said.
The PM said that the public needs to participate in the process of investigation by providing necessary documents and relevant information in their respective areas of engagement in order to root out corrupt individuals and companies. That is fundamental in our fight against corruption, he added.
Primew Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn called up on the public at large to provide tips about any officials or companies whom they reasonably know for fact that they are engaged in a corrupt act.
He also remarked that a system to register and make public the wealth of any public official has been developed. It will soon be public, he said.
Walt has learnt that from regional states to the federal government many public officials have been removed from their post while others are under investigation. (Translated By Pawlos Belete, Editted by Abraham Dereje)
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