By Mike Puia
THE Ombudsman office has announced the commencement of the new Ombudsman Act 2017 on January 31, 2018 after parliament passage in July 2017.
Announcing the new Act commencement at a press conference yesterday, the Ombudsman, Mr Fred Fakari’i said members of the public can now raise complaints of maladministrative conducts by any government agency, ministry or department or contractor to his office for investigation.
| Offense | Penalty |
| Failure to provide specified information in writing before a specified time | $50,000 or 5 years imprisonment, or both |
| Failure to produce specified document or thing before a specified time | $50,000 or 5 years imprisonment, or both |
| Failure to attend an oral examination on a specified date | $50,000 or 5 years imprisonment, or both |
| Knowingly gives information that is misleading in a material particular | $50,000 or 5 years imprisonment, or both |
| Knowingly gives a document that is misleading in a material particular | $50,000 or 5 years imprisonment, or both |
| Impersonation | $20,000 or 2 years imprisonment, or both |
| Obstructing | $50,000 or 5 years imprisonment, or both |
| Threatening | $50,000 or 5 years imprisonment, or both |
| Influencing | $50,000 or 5 years imprisonment, or both |
Fakari’i said he believes the new Act will help curb corruption in general.
