Editorial
Come out to share graft information
Whistleblower Act requires awareness building
THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman's call to the public to supply it with information along with 'evidence' on corruption taking place in the government or non-government organisations is welcome.
The call finds instant resonance with us as it should with others.
We urge our readers and citizens at large to come out with information supported by necessary leads, clues and better still with circumstantial evidence and make those available to the ACC.
They may be personally aggrieved by a deliberate act of corruption or suggestion of it or have knowledge of others being so affected. In both cases, they should volunteer information to the ACC.
In the same breath, as we extend our support to the ACC, we also urge our fellow media houses, the civil society and non-government organisations to help launch an awareness building campaign to motivate people in using the Act.
In specific terms, the campaign should educate people about the Public Interest Related Information Disclosure (Protection) Act, 2011 and its provisions that protect the whistleblower in case the quarters affected by the information try to harass or punish him or her. That would go a long way to encourage the public to come up with enough information.
The ACC for its part should publicise the provisions of the Act to secure wider public cooperation and participation.
On a cautionary note we would like to make it clear that the Act must not be allowed to be abused to exact personal or professional vendetta by anyone against any person. Just as individuals should not unnecessarily lodge complaints against anybody to malign or vilify, or to fulfil one's personal agenda, so also the ACC should ensure some failsafe measures to weed out biased, motivated and concocted information.
Basically the onus is on the ACC to check on the information through proper investigation before processing it for action.
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