TIPNG presents complaints statistics

Transparency International PNG today presented statistics from their Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre – a charter of TIPNG that provides free legal advice and assistance to victims and witnesses of corruption.

The statistics presented were from the 1st of January, 2019, to the 30th of June.

The statistics were from corruption complaints received by TIPNG through its Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre, or ALAC.

ALAC Coordinator, Samson Kandata, said the data from the total of 54 complaints received in the last 6 months included; the sectors with most frequent complaints, the alleged corrupt acts that were most complained about and key demographic data on complainants such as gender, means of contact and how they first heard about the ALAC service.

Though they receive a lot of complaints, ALAC has an internal screening process that filters them out and for the past six months, they had processed 26 complaints.

“And a lot of that, according to our statistics, lack of transparency was the top corrupt charge. When we say lack of transparency, this basically refers to the abuse of processes,” stated Kandata. “For example, termination and suspension of employees without proper notices as per the employment act and terms and conditions.”

For the top 5 primary corrupt practices, 26 complaints were laid against lack of transparency (9); mismanagement of public funds (8); conflict of interest (4); bribery (3); and fraud/false accounting (2).

According to the ALAC data, 10 problematic sectors were identified, and high on the list was public administration/services.

Public administration/services (12) was then followed by police (8); education (7); land/property (7); natural resources (6); local government (4); judiciary (3); labour and employment (3); health (2); and independent oversight institutions (2).

TIPNG says the statistics from the ALAC Complaints Database paint a clear picture that individual state agencies will have to take the lead to address corruption.

And bearing in mind that the two acts most frequently complained about by the public to ALAC were Lack of Transparency and Mismanagement of Public Funds, TIPNG has reiterated its call for the enacting of an Access to Information Law and the need for state agencies to ensure they have a corporate anti-corruption plan in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2010-2030.

“TIPNG provides free, confidential, legal advice through our Advocacy and Legal Advice Center to members of the public who have been victims or witnesses of corruption,” stated Kandata.

“As TIPNG is not a constitutionally mandated body, the ALAC service cannot investigate, arrest or prosecute alleged perpetrators of corruption, but rather the service provides explanations of the law, drafting of legal documents and referral to partner agencies, such as the Ombudsman Commission or the Office of the Public Prosecutor, who can act.”

(ALAC Coordinator, Samson Kandata)

Author: 
Carmella Gware