- Thursday, May 09, 2024
He said fugitive economic offenders pose a significant challenge to both national and international law enforcement as they exploit gaps and differences between legal and financial systems of countries.
By: India Weekly Staff
INDIAN minister of state for personnel, public grievances and pensions Jitendra Singh on Saturday (12) stressed on faster extradition of fugitive economic offenders and recovery of their assets, besides achieving a “corruption-free world” during the crucial G20 anti-graft ministerial meeting in Kolkata in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.
He said fugitive economic offenders pose a significant challenge to both national and international law enforcement as they are able to exploit gaps and differences between legal and financial systems of countries to evade justice.
“Fugitive economic offenders commit grave economic crimes in their home country and flee to another country to avoid arrest, prosecution or the execution of their sentence,” he added.
The minister also said that economic crimes include a wide range of illegal activities such as fraud, tax evasion, money laundering and embezzlement.
Their actions undermine the rule of law, hamper economic development and often contribute to corruption, Singh said.
The minister added that the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG), under India’s current presidency, has been successful in building consensus on important issues related to strengthening law enforcement cooperation, information sharing and asset recovery mechanisms.
“We, as the G20, need to be bold in our ambition and work together to address the lacunaes in international cooperation to combat corruption. I am sure that G20 members will take concrete steps to implement these principles to enhance the effectiveness of extradition mechanisms, and to facilitate better tracking of cross-border financial flows which will deter fugitive economic offenders,” the minister said.
Singh said India has been a strong advocate of a robust and holistic approach to tackle corruption. He said it is the responsibility of G20, as leaders of the world’s major economies, to ensure that “we continue this momentum until this vision of achieving a corruption-free world becomes a reality”.
“By prioritising and implementing robust anti-corruption policies, we can set global benchmarks for transparency, integrity and accountability. We have the power to enhance international cooperation against corruption which includes harmonising anti-corruption laws, enhancing information sharing, and strengthening cross-border investigations and prosecutions,” Singh added.
He said India’s zero-tolerance approach towards corruption also guides “our approach towards international cooperation for combating corruption”. He said technology, transparency and public participation form the bedrock of anti-corruption efforts. “Corruption can be countered by harnessing technology to enhance transparency and by fostering a culture of active citizen participation. I welcome the efforts of all G20 members to highlight the role of Information and Communication technology in preventing and combating corruption,” the minister said.
(PTI)
