During a meeting with the president and members of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday, the Monarch stressed that "there are no red lines hindering the conduct of the ACC in rooting out all forms of corruption and protecting the country from the phenomenon", the statement said.
The King also underlined that all public institutions, including the Royal Court, are subject to interrogation by the ACC that should be given real support and flexibility "if we intend to go through the right track", according to Petra.
During the meeting, the King stressed that combating all forms of corruption and prosecuting suspects in such cases and enforcing relevant laws for all citizens with no exceptions constitute a top national priority and a major pillar in comprehensive reform and sustainable development processes.
The Monarch reiterated that officials are prohibited from the cliché “directives from above”, to justify their decisions. He stressed that all corruption cases should be handled with complete transparency to enhance citizens’ trust in state efforts to eradicate the phenomenon.
His Majesty underlined the importance of establishing a “framework of values and ethics” to prevent corruption and boost confidence in the capability of the government to “stand firm against the corrupted and refer them to the court according to the law”, according to the statement.
He stressed that all the three authorities, the monitoring institutions, civil society organsiations and citizens should work hand-in-hand to combat graft, emphasising the importance of increasing public awareness over the phenomenon and enhancing the values of justice, transparency and the supremacy of law in theory and practice in society.
The King also instructed Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, Royal Court Chief Khaled Karaki and his media adviser Amjad Adaileh, who were present at the meeting, to offer all forms of support and facilities to the ACC to ensure that it carries out its duties professionally.
Bakhit reiterated the government’s commitment to drafting a law to protect those who inform about corruption cases, witnesses and experts, amending financial disclosure laws and boosting other laws related to empowering the ACC, the Royal Court said in the statement.
ACC President Samih Bino presented a briefing on the commission’s plans to eradicate corruption, pointing out that the ACC is working in complete coordination and cooperation with all the monitoring agencies and other institutions of similar missions.
