FORMER POLICE COMMISSIONER WELCOMES PROPOSED I.C.A.C
Former Solomon Islands Police Commissioner Frank Short. Photo credit: LinkedIn.
A former Royal Solomon Islands Police Commissioner, Frank Short welcomes the announcement of a proposed Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
Mr. Short says good governance institutions should be strengthened with strong legal powers and staffed by independently, qualified personnel possessing wide powers of investigation and prosecution.
He says, responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement recently, President of the Malaita Ma’asina Forum, Charles Dausabea, has been quick to say forming an ICAC would be an overlapping of existing organizations and institutions dealing with corruption issues adding creating an ICAC would be a waste of time and money.
But Mr. Short says if Solomon Islands possess a strong, resources and effective ICAC network, a national ICAC would not be needed but that is not the case.
He cautions, Melanesian culture must be carefully considered when framing legislation that will lead to an ICAC Act.
The former Police Commissioner says it seems that ‘culture’ is often tied up in the reporting of corrupt acts and in the following up of reported allegations involving corrupt practices.
He says it is time for a different mindset and only independent investigators can help redress the corruption problems troubling Solomon Islands.