I am pleased to note that the Government has announced new measures to fight corruption. A Bill before the House proposes “to remove the applicability of prescription to the offence of corruption” committed by a minister, a parliamentary secretary, an MP, a mayor or a local counsellor. In other words, the criminal offence of corruption by some officers in the public service will henceforth never be time-barred.
As far as I am aware, the only other offences that are never time-barred are genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity (this, too, was a relatively recent amendment that found its way into our law books in the wake of do-gooder international law fashionistas). Even multiple, aggravated murder is subject to prescription in Malta but baksheesh, if the Bill goes through, is not.
For a citizen this may be great news. For a human rights addict, a perplexing one.
Laudable as any anti-corruption initiative undoubtedly is, this one raises a series of human rights concerns. I emphasise that much of what follows are my personal reflections not extracts from the Strasbourg bible.
If the House approves the Bill, the persons targeted can be tried and convicted of bribery, say,...
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