By Jerry Tandawai

IF the government is really serious about combating corruption at all le­vels, then an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) must be set up immediately.
 

Setting up the ICAC has been mooted many times before in various public forums but nothing substantive has resulted.
 The main reason for inaction is that successive governments always lacked the political will to stamp out corruption.


An ICAC should be a principal agency with a statutory charter to investigate and eradicate corruption. 
It must be totally independent.
 Its principal objectives should be:

• 
To vigilantly enforce anti-corruption laws and to make corruption a high-risk crime;

• To identify and eliminate opportunities for corruption in government departments and public bodies by reviewing their procedures and practices;
• 
To promote anti-corruption in the private sector; and
• 
To educate the community about the evils of corruption and en­list their support in the war against it.


The anti-corruption agency needs a simple plan of action before employing more complex strategies to combat it.
 The agency must implement effective strategies such as employing proactive investigation techniques to identify and prosecute those suspected of being corrupt. 


Its investigators must be given continuous professional training to keep abreast with the changing commercial environment, technological advances and development in cri­minal investigation techniques.
 The training should embrace a wide range of topics, including financial investigation, IT applications, computer forensics, video interview techniques, case management and court procedures.
 Joint operations must be esta­blished comprising retired senior officers and dedicated agents.


Establishing ICAC will help other state agencies develop their corruption prevention capability by producing best practice on ways to prevent, minimise or curb corruption-related opportunities.


A good community relations stra­tegy is required to educate the public and enlist their support in the fight against corruption.