National Independent Investigative Authority to be Established

A National Independent Investigative Authority (NIIA) will be established to strengthen the investigative capacities of the state against corruption, and trans-national organised crime.
Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips made the announcement in his contribution to the 2007/08 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday (June 13).
“The authority will undertake investigations on its own initiative, on receipt of a complaint by any person in writing or by referral from another public body, and will have available to it, all the relevant investigative powers, and will be appropriately supervised by an independent entity appointed by the Governor General,” he explained. The NIIA will investigate actions taken by any public servant, public body, and person, who may be implicated in the course of the investigations, if the action constitutes: a threat to integrity of the operation of the public body; an act of corruption; an abuse of powers; an abuse or infringement of human rights; an abuse of public trust; a financial crime or a trans-national or serious organised crime.