“We believe hopefully before the end of the second quarter, the commission will be up and running.”
He explained that the delay in establishment of the commission is not a sign that the government condones corruption. “We are using the available mechanisms in place to fight corruption, and we are not playing about this commission.”
“We first had to provide a budget for the commission, and luckily this year, the National Assembly has allocated some little resources for the commission,” he said.
He disclosed that in January this year, a call for applications was publicly announced for the position of chairperson and two additional members of the commission with the submission deadline set for the 28th of February 2025.
“Currently, a vetting committee was established which held its first meeting on the 22nd of January. As outlined in its terms of reference, the vetting committee is tasked with submitting the names of three qualified candidates to the minister by the end of March 2025 for subsequent approval of the National Assembly,” he disclosed.
“Efforts to develop a robust mechanism to tackle corruption were initiated in 2024 and our understanding of the commission's structure and effectiveness has significantly evolved since then,” Justice Minister Jallow said.
“While the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission has experienced delays, these were necessitated by the Ministry's unwavering commitment to ensuring that the measures adopted to combat corruption are both effective and sustainable in the long term.
