Wild suggestion on unexplained wealth

I HAVE a wild suggestion on unexplained wealth.

We should be giving people an opportunity to voluntarily go to the commission to explain the acquisition of their wealth.

Where the commission finds the person guilty of illegally accumulating wealth, a penalty can be imposed. There could be an agreement for the individual to pay back a certain stipulated percentage of the loot or surrender the property to the Government.

This approach eases the workload for the commission and can be along the lines of the TRC of South Africa but be termed an Economic TRC implemented through an Act of Parliament. This can be faster and the country quickly recoup what is due to the masses.

I foresee a lot of cheating and long-drawn cases if we go around asking people to explain their wealth. There are many impediments in this approach.

The wealth audits are what we need in the country for the benefit of the masses. We should open this process to public input. This is a critical decision that needs thinking through.

George Shambare.