(AFP Photo)
Minister of Justice Ahmed Mekki intends to propose the creation of a court handling the smuggling of stolen funds across Arab countries.
Mekki will propose the idea to his Arab counterparts as he attends the fourth annual conference for the Arab Anti-Corruption and Integrity Network in Beirut, he said in a Monday statement.
“Developed countries that fight corruption have a duty and obligation to put an end to the smuggling of stolen funds using their own law enforcement agencies and courts so that other countries can retrieve their stolen wealth and so that corrupt individuals do not find opportunities for smuggling,” said Mekki.
“When corruption spreads it affects institutions tasked with fighting corruption. I hope Arab states will approve of my proposal, which is to create a court specialising in retrieving stolen funds across Arab states,” he said.
Mekki concluded that the best way to fight corruption is through enacting legislation that spreads freedom and allows private citizens the space to have a say in the running of the state, citing freedom of information, civil society, and free election laws as examples.
