Lower House endorses bill on integrity, anti-corruption

AMMAN — The Lower House on Sunday endorsed the 2015 draft integrity and anti-corruption law, which stipulates the establishment of a national commission for integrity and anti-corruption.

Under the law, the Audit Bureau and the Anti-Corruption Commission will be integrated into one administratively and financially independent entity called the national centre for integrity and anti-corruption, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

As per the bill, abuse of public office, illicit fortunes, bribery, wasta (using personal connections to obtain favours or posts) and other practices are classified as corruption.

The law also stipulates that a specialised prosecutor general, appointed by the Higher Judicial Council, looks into corruption-related cases referred by the envisioned commission, Petra reported. 

Also under the law, people can file complaints against public agencies for their failure to comply with the principles of the National Integrity Charter.

Discussing the law last week, some MPs requested that the envisioned entity be subject to the Chamber's monitoring like the Audit Bureau.

"To have the House's monitoring over the envisioned commission sanctioned in a law is not needed because, as in the case of other entities, it will be supervised by MPs," Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said at the time.

Under lawmakers' amendments to the draft law, the envisioned commission will be managed and supervised by a president and four board members, "none of whom should hold dual citizenship".

Under the law, the commission's president and board members will be appointed by a Royal Decree under a recommendation by the prime minister.