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Malo 'aupito.
Lopeti Senituli
"We hope Tonga will be a much better place," says new anti corruption commissioner
Saturday, June 14, 2008 - 16:22. Updated on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - 16:12.
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
"The Attorney General and the Minister of Justice, Hon. 'Alisi Taumoepeau yesterday announced the appointment of Neil Adsett as Tonga's first Acting Anti-Corruption Commissioner.
'Alisi stressed that the task at hand for the Acting Commissioner is to find a Commissioner and to raise public awareness on the roles and responsibilities of the Commission.
Neil, who has had a working relation with Tonga's Ministry of Justice since the late 1980s, said that he is looking for a staff of eight to ten people, including a Commissioner, a Deputy Commissioner, a Special Investigator, two investigators to work on the field and a deputy director to direct the Public Awareness Program.
At this initial stage, the Anti Corruption Commission will not be actively out to unravel corruption cases within government, but Neil explained the kind of work that the commission will be doing in the near future.
"People will be expecting an investigation of crimes about corruption, which result in people being sent to the Supreme Court. That is one aspect, but much more than that, the scheme of the Act is to look at serious and sustained corruption in Tonga and to design ways to alleviate corruption in Tonga," he said.
Modern government
Apart from investigating corruption cases, Neil said the permanent Anti Corruption Commissioner will make invaluable contribution to the formation of an efficient system of modern government, "we would rather focus on fixing the money team so that the money does not fall out.
"That will be the primary role, of the commission to design a system of government that does not lend itself to corruption."
Neil believes that the public perception is an important part of the process.
"In the coming months we will ask the public to come to us and give us their complaints.
"There is a whole line of complaints in certain areas that the Anti Corruption Commission will be looking at, and we will be going direct to government, to parliament as well and saying, we suggest you change the system. We can look at individual people who are corrupted but the system should be changed so that it does not happen. It is not going to happen overnight but things will be done systematically and professionally," he said.
Official corruption
"The commission will be looking only at official corruption. Anything within government, officials and names, generally any wrong within the public government of Tonga, including the statutory corporations will be subject to scrutiny.
"In the long run corruption should be affectively addressed and we hope Tonga will be a much better place."
Anti Corruption Convention
On the question if Tonga will become a signatory to the United Nations Anti Corruption Convention, the Attorney General, Hon. 'Alisi Taumoepeau said that it will be easier for Tonga to do that now because Tonga already had its anti corruption law in place. "Usually, it works the other way around, you sign the international convention first and then work your way down."
Neil Adsett lived in Tonga during 1988 and 1989, while he was working on the last official revised edition of the Tonga's laws. Since 2006, Neil has been working on a new set of laws for Tonga, which are nearing completion and will be published when the Tongan language version is ready.
The setting up of Tonga's Anti Corruption Commission is funded by the Australian Government.
https://matangitonga.to/2008/06/14/we-hope-tonga-will-be-much-better-place-says-new-anti-corruption-commissioner (Accessed on 8 Apr 19) ”