Panel for time-bound graft case against foreign officials

A Bill which seeks to criminalise the act of corruption by foreign public officials and help India ratify the UN Convention on Corruption, received broad endorsement by a Parliamentary panel today which recommended prescribing a timeframe for investigations, saying it would bring the "desired deterrent effect" on wrongdoers.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice and Personnel, which presented its report on The Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and Officials of Public International Organisations Bill, 2011 in both houses of Parliament, also opined that "exclusion of intangible and non-pecuniary advantages from the scope of expression' undue advantage' would unnecessarily and unjustifiably narrow down the scope and coverage of the proposed law".

 

The panel recommended that the government should review the definition of the term 'undue advantage'.

On the issue of jurisdiction over non-citizens of India, it said in a bid to prevent creation of an escape route for offenders, clause 1(2)(d) be reformulated.

It suggested that the words "who is not a citizen of India and has his principal place of business or permanent residence in India" be added.

While agencies like CBI are learnt to have supported amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act (POCA) instead of having a fresh legislation to deal with foreign bribes, the panel said "for a proper implementation of the provisions of the bill, it would be more prudent to opt for a standalone bill approach rather than amending the POCA.