The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has on Monday 17th July, through a public notice, called on all newly appointed and former public officers to declare their income, assets and liabilities to the Commission.
Section 119 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as repealed and replaced by Section 9 (a) of the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2019, requires all public officials to declare their income, assets and liabilities to the Commission when taking office and when exiting office respectively.
According to this Section, any person, shall “within three months of becoming a public officer, deposit with the Commission a declaration of his income, assets and liabilities and thereafter in every two years that he is public officer, but not later than 31st March of that second year, deposit further declaration of his income, assets and liabilities and also while leaving office.”
It further stated that Section 119 (3), also provides that every person who ceases to be a public officer, not later than three months from the date on which he ceases to be a public officer, except where extended by the Commissioner in writing, he shall file in respect of his assets, income and liabilities covering the period from the date of his or her last declaration to the date on which he is required by this sub-section to furnish a declaration.
The notice further said Section 122 (a) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as amended by the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2019, stipulates that; it is an offence if a public officer who fails to declare his or her assets, and upon conviction will pay a fine of not less than Twenty Million (Old) Leones (Le20, 000,000) or imprisonment for a term not less than one year or to both such fine and imprisonment.
“The Commission is therefore urging all serving Public Officers and former Public Officers who have not deposited their Assets Declaration Forms with the ACC to do so immediately, failing which the Commission will, after the stipulated deadlines, invoke the penal provisions of the Act or other measures that will ensure full compliance, which shall include a directive to withhold their salaries, benefits and or Criminal Prosecution,” the notice stated.
