The Anti Corruption & Civil Rights Commission held an open forum to collect opinions about legislation to prevent public officials from pursuing private interests and giving illegal favors. The October 18 event was attended by figures from the political and academic communities as well as from civic groups.

 

The bill, tentatively named "Act on the Prevention of Private Interests," was proposed by the Commission as a comprehensive measure to control the illegal pursuit of private interests by those in public positions. An increasing number of cases has recently been reported where government officials abuse the power granted to them by the public mandate to give unlawful favors, promise an advantageous outcome and exert undue influence in exchange for personal gain. The new bill is expected to help prevent public officials from pursuing undue interests through increasingly covert and complicated schemes as well as end the practice of influence peddling.

 

The bill for the Act will contain provisions that oblige pubic officials to report their private interest relations in advance of their appointment to a position, and to take measures to evade involvement in conflicts of interest.

 

Other measures sought by the Act include prohibiting public officials from conducting financial and real estate transactions with persons related to their areas of responsibility, controlling wealth accumulation through the use of insider information, banning the practice of giving favors, establishing a solicitation declaration system, and taking disciplinary actions against violators of the Act.

 

The Commission plans to finalize the bill after collecting and fully considering the opinions of the public, civil servants, experts and other stakeholders, and comparing it with similar acts in other countries.