(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Doha: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has updated laws to abolish previous immunity provisions for ministers, Doha News has reported citing Official Gazette.
The decision was taken a day prior to the arrest of the country’s minister of finance over corruption charges. The update in law scraps the Accountability of Ministers Law which lifts protection provided to government officials in the face of civil or criminal prosecution, as is the case with all residents and citizens, according to the Gazette, Doha News reported.
Earlier few days ago, H H the Amir had replaced the arrested finance minister with Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari. In an interview with Doha News, prominent Qatari journalist and Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi said the move, which was also mentioned in his speech during the last Shura Council session, clearly implies that Qatar’s laws apply to all state agencies to enforce transparency and accountability.
''These directives coincide with broad legal reforms that have made the State of Qatar at the forefront of countries that fight corruption and support good governance as well as the rule of law,” Al-Shafi said.
''These are the laws of the countries that apply justice and Qatar has made great strides in that regard,” he added.
''The new laws do not abolish the rights of minister but rather declares that criminal laws apply to all citizens of the Qatari community equally,” he stressed.
''This confirms that our leadership places integrity and honesty as a top priority. These laws will be applied to everyone with complete equality to prevent financial and administrative violations as well as all that affects integrity, transparency and the rule of law,” Al-Shafi stated.
''The international community views Qatar as a model for transparency and integrity, as confirmed by many international institutions and organisations, and this motivates the state to achieve more successes and make further progress in establishing the rule of law,” he said, noting the latest decision was met with praise nationwide.
MENAFN11052021000063011010ID1102062342
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.