Transparency International welcomes investigations into corruption and calls on Egyptian government to strengthen anti-corruption laws

Transparency International (TI), the global anti-corruption organisation, welcomes the on-going investigations in Egypt of former state officials for alleged corruption and TI calls on the Egyptian government to strengthen its anti-corruption laws.

The apprehension of high-profile suspects, including former president Hosni Mubarak and his sons, sends a strong signal about the changing political will in Egypt. At the same time, TI warns it is important that due process is followed in all legal trials.

In 2010, TI published independent assessments of the pillars of society that shape how Egypt is governed and found that anti-corruption and good governance concepts are poorly understood by civil servants, the private sector and ordinary citizens.

The revolution of 25 January represents a new start for Egypt and its fight against corruption, given the pivotal role the issue played during the popular demonstrations across the country.

TI therefore calls on the government to take this historic opportunity to rebuild these pillars, including ensuring a strong and independent judiciary, to develop an enforceable anti-corruption framework supported by a cohesive legal structure and genuine political will.

This includes providing strong freedom of expression legislation for all Egyptian citizens and comprehensive access to information laws. Citizens should have the right to express dissenting opinions without fear of reprisals, which happened recently with the arrest of a blogger who was sentenced to three years in prison for criticising the military.

From 17-18 April 2011 TI will hold a workshop in Cairo entitled “Towards a new integrity system in Egypt” which will discuss the importance of strong, transparent institutions that enforce anti-corruption laws and uphold freedom of expression.

On April 19 2011 TI is also hosting: A practical guide to asset recovery: How to guarantee accountability during the Egyptian revolution.

Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption