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{
    "id": 1112787,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1112787/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 273,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": " Madam Temporary Speaker, I rise to support this Bill. Before I go to the reasons why I support it, there are already so many laws in this country to deal with not only corruption but also the question of public officers having unexplained assets. The Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act has very substantive provisions not only for dealing with somebody who has committed an offence but also against public officers or for that matter individuals who may be in possession of unexplained assets. There is a proper procedure that is laid out. At the end of the day when we come to the Committee Stage the relevant committee should look at both the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act and this Bill because I think there are a lot of repetitions and certain provisions which may be conflicting. Let me say what we have to change in this Bill. It is very important because we are very good at making laws but application of the laws is another matter. Any good law made in this country in good faith is always used as a weapon. Sen. Farhiya, you have brought this Bill in good faith but if it is passed the way it is, you may be the first victim. I had reason to say things like these in the National Assembly, giving a warning that we may be happy about this law because it sounds good but the day when it is used against you, you are going to cry like a baby. There are a lot of people who are crying because of the application of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act. Before dealing with the substantive sections, I want to say that the war against corruption of public officers who are corrupt is not going to be successful until we have institutions of integrity and leadership that has integrity. For example, in Brazil there was a prosecutor who took a case against the most popular politician in Brazil, President Lula and he served 10 years in prison. The entire State machinery was turned against that prosecutor. When the next president came in office, the one who Lula handed over power to, that prosecutor again took on the next president. The second president got away by way of impeachment. The prosecutor had another war with the current president of Brazil, President Bolsonaro. I am glad that our prosecutors here under the office of the DPP went to Brazil. That office is a strong institution and fighting against that institution in Brazil is like fighting against an entire government. You need a strong and independent institution as a starting point otherwise, a law like this may give the political class who are in power weapons to use against adversaries or to use against less powerful individuals."
}