EAIC 'may be' empowered to prosecute

The cabinet has agreed to beef up the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission to provide it with more teeth, in accordance with calls from the people.

However, the areas to be strengthened and the measures to be taken will first have to be studied, and this could include providing prosecution powers to the EAIC, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Paul Low said today.

"There are two types of prosecution powers; disciplinary powers in cases of misconduct and prosecution powers for criminal offences.

"We are looking into it," Low told reporters at a joint press conference with Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and minister in charge of law Nancy Shukri.

However, he said, as it was, the EAIC already has "enough provisions" to keep enforcement agencies in check.

"By itself, Siap has sufficient powers," he said referring to the EAIC by its Bahasa Malaysia acronym.

[More to follow]