Weeding out high level corruption
pp. 34-35 · Read in the full issue
The Marshall Islands cabinet has established a high powered “Task Force on
Accountability” to
investigate, prosecute and cleanup misconduct in government.
“We have seen in the recent past countless number of allegations of gross misconduct in public offices,” said Justice Minister Witten Philippo in announcing formation of the task
force in March. “The lack of action in the past and the appearance of turning a blind eye to these alleged violations of law in the past has resulted in a strong public outcry for action on the part of the government.”
Philippo, a former high court chief justice, said that the new task force will help restore credibility in the government and its agencies.
He said it delivers on an anti
corruption campaign promise that the then-opposition United Democratic Party made before winning a majority in the parliament last November.
Attorney General Atbi Riklon is the chair of the task force. Members include government Auditor General Jean Marie Tonyokwe, Police Commissioner George Lanwi, Chief Secretary Phillip Kabua and private
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Continued from previous page attorney David Strauss, an American.
Philippo said the task force will focus its initial investigations into alleged illegalities in the
government’s previous passport sales
and the nation’s social security program.
It will also review audits for reports of mismanagement of funds that should be further investigated and prosecuted.
The Cabinet has given the new task
force wide ranging authority,
including to review: • tax evasion by individuals, businesses and employees of the government. • the status of illegal aliens and business conducted by these illegal aliens in violation of Marshall Islands laws. • misuse of public funds in government departments, statutory corporations, government-owned
corporations, the Social Security
Administration, and local governments. • the refinancing of certain government bonds, including the finance company Lehman Brothers demand for payment of a US$5OO,OOO penalty for breach of a prior notification clause relating to the
refinancing.
• all government contracts to ensure that individuals or companies awarded contracts comply with the laws and terms of the contracts.
Philippo said the new government “cannot afford to ignore” these problems of misconduct in the government and it “must take steps to resolve” the problems.
By “establishing the Task Force on Accountability, the government will be able to take further proceedings where there is credible evidence to prosecute those implicated in the
investigations,” Philippo said.
In the process, the government hopes to restore credibility in the government, its corporations and institutions,” he said. fl