Though to varying degrees, corruption occurs in almost all countries of the world. One of the challenges facing countries in fighting corruption is the cross border capital flight and migration of fugitives.
Therefore countries should give due attention to working hand in hand in the anti-corruption fight. Ethiopia is also one of the victims of corruption in the world. It has been combating the crime through various means.
Among these are, enacting anti-corruption law and teaching the public to fight corruption. No matter how these measures have succeeded, the country still has to intensify efforts towards considerably addressing the issue of corruption.
However the sole efforts of countries cannot succeed in fighting corruption as the issue tends to be cross border. It is a well-known fact that those who commit such crimes usually take their feet to countries where they can keep their stolen money safely and lead their lives comfortably then after. This has been the reality that encouraged most of the corrupt individuals.
Hence nations should think about the likelihood of significantly addressing corruption by closing all the chances of availing a safe haven for those who embezzle their country. By doing so it will be possible to discourage corruption and the felons and let them face justice in their respective countries they embezzled.
Therefore countries should intensify their cooperation in the fight against corruption by various means. First they should exchange information and share experience with each other on how to best curb the social scourge. Furthermore it is important to work in coalition towards fighting the crime.
Especially countries need to consider that there is a need to vigorously work on the issues of discouraging the illegal flow of money from each other’s country. Moreover, they should not stop on halting the flow of illegally acquired money but they should also do their best in restituting the money to each other’s country as well as extraditing the fugitives.
As part of the efforts of transforming the country’s economic and political arena the government of Ethiopia is undertaking actions to discourage the highly ingrained corrupt and malpractices of the past. Moreover, former officials suspected of grand corruption are now in due process of law. Their number would likely to increase as corruption is believed to have gone deep-rooted in the country.
As a result the struggle against this harmful practice requires concerted and all rounded efforts of all concerned bodies. For this end the government is undertaking commendable efforts to mobilize the public towards wholeheartedly engaging in the fight against corruption.
In order to realize the success of the efforts fellow nations and international organizations should collaborate with the government since the outcome is mutually beneficiary for all countries. Especially it is important to assist the efforts by sharing relevant information and experience as well as restituting stolen money and extraditing suspected fugitives.
The Ethiopian Herald, December 29/2018
