Top govt officials to disclose assets

RIYADH: The means and ways to be followed by senior government officials in disclosing their holdings and properties have been submitted to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for final approval, chairman of the National Anti-corruption Authority Muhammad Al-sharif announced.

Local Arabic daily Al-madinah on Friday quoted Al- Sharif as saying that all government employees who are in positions to make decisions and are holding jobs that might affect public funding will be asked to declare their holdings and properties.

" Directors of financial departments in government ministries, accountants, cashiers and all other employees involved in dealing with public funds will have to disclose their holdings," he explained.

Al-sharif expected such a move to curb corruption and said any senior government official who might have an "unjustified rise" in his bank deposits or properties would be questioned.

The chairman, however, made it clear that the authority will not be concerned with government employees who absent themselves from work or who come late to office.

"This is not within the jurisdiction of the authority which is also not responsible for injustices against foreign manpower such as not paying them their monthly salaries," he said.

Al-sharif said trading in foreign manpower, high prices of commodities and other such issues were not their concern.

Al-sharif was talking during a Thuluthiyyah (Tuesday evening) gathering in Riyadh, organized by Muhammad Al- Mushawwah. He defined corruption as the misuse of power by a public employee to make personal gains.

"Misusing of authority or using it for other purposes, nepotism and unauthorized use of government property are all various types of corruption which we are fighting," he said.

Al- Sharif said no verdicts have been issued in cases involving a number of people accused of financial and administrative corruption because investigations are not yet complete.

"The authority is supervising all government departments, public corporations and companies in which the government owns at least 25 percent of shares.

When a corruption case is uncovered, we submit the file to the supervisory authority concerned," he explained.