Two legislative proposals have been submitted to the House of Representatives Legal Affairs Committee by AKEL Member of Parliament Irene Charalambidou. The proposals focus on strengthening oversight mechanisms in corruption-related cases and enhancing cooperation between the Independent Authority Against Corruption and the Tax Commissioner.
According to an announcement issued by the Member of Parliament, the proposals seek to regulate institutional information exchange and activate tax audits when relevant findings arise.
Legislative proposals submitted to the House Legal Affairs Committee
The proposals were tabled before the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs and aim to reinforce investigative and oversight procedures in corruption cases.
They specifically address cooperation between the Independent Authority Against Corruption and the Office of the Tax Commissioner.
The first proposal provides for an amendment to the law governing the establishment and operation of the Independent Authority Against Corruption.
Under the proposal, in cases where the Authority’s findings include indications of possible involvement of an official in corruption-related offences, the Tax Commissioner would be informed in order to initiate a tax audit in accordance with existing legislation.
The second proposal concerns an amendment to the Income Tax Law.
The amendment aims to allow the Tax Commissioner to proceed with tax audits when notified by the Independent Authority Against Corruption of findings containing indications of possible involvement of officials in corruption-related cases.
Stated objectives of the legislative initiatives
According to the announcement issued by the AKEL Member of Parliament, the two proposals aim to establish institutional regulation of information exchange and to activate tax audits in cases where relevant findings arise.
The announcement also states that this process would be independent of any criminal procedure that may be underway.