Corruption and Crime Commission
Western Australia’s parliamentary committee which oversees Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) watchdog should change the way it conducts public examinations, a report tabled in parliament has recommended.
Joint Standing Committee chairman Nick Goiran said it was beneficial for Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) examinations to be open to the public. However, in the past some public examinations produced a range of unsatisfactory outcomes, he added.
In 2010, a City of Stirling employee, who was the subject of a CCC investigation, committed suicide a week before public hearings were due to begin.
Mr Goiran said the committee agreed the CCC Commissioner should retain the discretion on whether to open an examination to the public and supported the anti-corruption role of the CCC. However, he said all future witnesses should be given a greater level of procedural fairness than they had in the past.
The good thing about wider publicity given to corruption is that it acts as a deterrent. But on the other hand, it may deter some witnesses and whistle-blowers to come forward to give evidence. It was reported in another posting here today that the death of British citizen Neil Heywood may be connected with corruption investigation in China. In another posting here it was stated that in India at least 15 , who tried to blow the lid on scams or fought the menace of corruption in other ways, have been killed since 2010. These factors should be taken into consideration in enabling the public hearing of witnesses.
To eradicate corruption it is absolutely necessary to get to the bottom of it. This will not be possible unless the identity of the whistle-blower is not revealed and the whistle-blower is given adequate protection before and after the hearing.
