Tbilisi: The Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition MP, Paata Manjgaladze, on Wednesday, stated that Georgia requires an independent investigative, anti-corruption agency, not the “tail” of the Prime Minister. The comments came as a response to the ruling party’s latest bill, offering the creation of an anti-corruption agency, with Prime Minister making an appointment of its head.
“The idea that the PM appoints the head of the bureau means the creation of another agency subordinate to the vertical, which serves only as a facade for the implementation of the European recommendation, and not for anti-corruption measures. An independent investigative agency should be created”, he said.
Earlier, Kakhaber Kemoklidze, a member of the opposition For Georgia party, called out against the bill, saying the PM must not appoint the head of the anti-corruption agency.
Anri Okhanashvili, the ruling party MP and the chair of the parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee presented the initiation of the bill on Wednesday, quoting it to be one of the European Union’s 12-point conditions for providing the membership candidate status to Georgia.
Okhanashvili informed that the newly formed agency would be supervising the execution and the implementation of the document defining the general policy to tackle the menace of corruption and the national anti-corruption strategy of Georgia.
At the same time, the agency would coordinate the activities and functioning of the appropriate bodies, organisations and officials. Discussions regarding the amendments will be launching next week.
