No one is above the law – King

AMMAN (JT) –– “No one is above the law and no one enjoys immunity,” His Majesty King Abdullah stressed Sunday, underlining that people are fed up with anti-corruption slogans and want to see the corrupt and the negligent tried before courts of law.

At a meeting with heads of the three branches of government as well as representatives of monitoring bodies and NGOs, including the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Audit Bureau and the Ombudsman, the King said people deserve to be treated with clarity and openness regarding public issues.

The King directed the executive authority to cooperate with all concerned bodies to come up with a code of conduct or a mechanism to enhance the principles of integrity in public work, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty called for genuine efforts to achieve justice for all and ensure that the corrupt are sent to courts of law without hesitation or special treatment, noting that “citizens had enough of words and slogans”.

“They [citizens] want to make sure their rights are safeguarded. They also want to see the corrupt and the negligent held accountable and that their relationship with state agencies based on justice and equal opportunity,” the King emphasised.

“Justice is the basis of good governance, and the absence of justice in any society means the absence of a sense of belonging and lack of trust between the citizen and public institutions,” His Majesty said.

He underscored the importance of cooperation among monitoring bodies and the activation of liability systems on the basis of transparent, integral and objective principles and in line with the best international standards and practices.

King Abdullah highlighted the role of Parliament, in particular, as an oversight body that holds the executive authority accountable, to enhance people’s faith in the House and promote national integrity.

“When there is suspicion of corruption or any complaint from any citizen, the judiciary is the sole arbitrator in this case,” he said, expressing his full confidence in the judicial system.

His Majesty also underlined the need to accelerate litigation procedures, which, he said, sometimes proceed slowly, through finding new effective mechanisms to speed up the process.

Voicing his appreciation and respect for the role of the media in opening channels of communication between citizens and state agencies and unveiling illegal practices, King Abdullah said the media, however, should maintain objectivity, credibility and high standards of professionalism.

Touching on the issue of closing public roads by protesters, a behaviour that has been observed especially in remote areas, His Majesty said the Kingdom’s public property and state prestige should be protected and these issues should be handled in line with the law, stressing citizens’ right to be protected against any infringement on their freedoms.

In his remarks at the meeting, Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh underlined the need to focus on the role of Parliament and enhance cooperation between monitoring bodies to achieve national goals in combating corruption according to international standards.

He added that combating corruption should not be a tool to settle disputes, adding that the government will improve the performance of monitoring bodies and provide them with qualified technical cadres, especially the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the judicial system.

Khasawneh stressed the need for regulations governing the work of news websites to strike a balance between the freedom of expression and protecting the rights and reputations of citizens.

He added that the government will work with Parliament to find a formula that ensures the rights of journalists to access information within a framework of freedom and responsibility.

Also at the meeting, Senate President Taher Masri said the government should work with the two Chambers of Parliament and monitoring bodies to develop a set of procedures that protect citizens’ rights to defend themselves.

Lower House Speaker Abdul Karim Dughmi said the House has dealt with files of suspected corruption forwarded by the ACC with diligence, since they are related to former ministers.

Heads of monitoring bodies and NGOs called for activating the role of the ACC and the audit and ombudsman bureaus to further empower them to detect violations related to public money, and simplifying legal procedures.

President of the Judicial Council Mohammad Al Mahameed said the judicial system seeks to serve justice and protect the rights of citizens, but stressed that the large number of cases and the limited number of supporting staff are some of the problems that face the judicial authority.

jordantimes