The Anti-Corruption Authority “Nazaha” said it successfully monitored 74 cases of suspected corruption between 2021 and 2023 through surveillance of social media and various news outlets.
Abdullah Fahd Al-Adwani, the legal auditor in the Corruption Detection and Money Recovery Department within the Authority’s Corruption Detection and Investigation Sector, told Al-Rai that they have carried out a total of 146 monitoring operations for potential corruption suspicions since the enforcement of executive regulations in 2016, accompanied by the necessary legal actions, reports Al-Rai daily.
Al-Adwani explained that “Nazaha” meticulously tracks news and information that could potentially indicate corruption, in accordance with Article 22 of Law 2/2016, which established the Authority and outlined financial disclosure provisions.
He emphasized that the gathered information and news regarding suspicious activities are thoroughly assessed corruption-related offenses, as defined in Article 22, are closely monitored from various sources, subject to specific formal and objective criteria stipulated in the law, and any allegations concerning public office holders are subjected to the Authority’s legal provisions.
Al-Adwani underlined that the Commission initiates its procedures when both the formal and objective conditions are met, emphasizing the importance of the information’s seriousness and reliability. It is also verified whether the Commission has previously addressed the issue. The sources of this monitoring encompass a wide range of media outlets, including local and international newspapers and social media platforms.
When discussing the legal foundation for the monitoring process, Al-Adwani referred to Article 24 of Law 2/2016, which grants the Authority the authority to collect information upon suspicion of a corruption crime. For this purpose, the Authority may review records, documents, and papers related to the alleged crime, as well as request any data, information, or documents relevant to it. The Authority may then decide to refer these cases to the appropriate judicial authorities.
In cases of suspected financial liability crimes, Al-Adwani mentioned that, in compliance with the provisions of the aforementioned law, the Corruption Detection and Assets Recovery Department carries out research, investigations, and evidence gathering.
It then refers certain monitored incidents to the Public Prosecution, as mandated by Article 5 of the law, which stipulates that cases involving suspicion of a criminal offense should be forwarded to the relevant investigative authorities.
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