31st March 2022 is Deadline for…   Public Officers to Declare Income, Assets & Liabilities

Esther Wright

In a Public Notice published on the 24^th February 2022 by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) it was stated that the general public must now be aware that pursuant to Section 119(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 (as amended in 2019), Public Officers are to declare their income, assets and liabilities on or before the deadline date of 31st March 2022.

Quoting the relevant Section 119(1) it states: “Every public officer shall, within three months of becoming a public officer, deposit with the Commission a declaration of his income, assets and liabilities and thereafter in every two years that he is a public officer, but not later than 31st March of that second year, deposit further declaration of his income, assets and liabilities and also while leaving office.”

The ACC said, in line with the above, the following public officers are required to declare their assets: Persons in elective offices, Persons appointed by the President, Public Officers in Grade 7 and above and Public officers below Grade 7 with fiduciary (financial) responsibilities, such as bursars, etc.

The Public Notice furthered that categories of teachers in Government and Government-assisted schools that are expected to declare their income, assets and liabilities during this declaration period (2022) are: Principals, Vice Principals, Head Teachers, Deputy Head Teachers and Bursars.

It stated that all other teachers in Grade 7 and above are exempt from this year’s declaration requirement.

The Commission further wishes to inform public officers that, declarations can be done online through the Commission’s website: www.anticorruption.gov.sl

According to the ACC , the public is reminded that Section 122 of the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Act 2019 provides that: “A public officer who, without reasonable cause, fails to submit his/her Assets Declaration Form or knowingly records false, inaccurate or misleading information in the declaration form shall, in addition to any other penalty imposed under the Act, be liable to administrative sanctions as set out in Sub-section (5)” as follows: Withholding the salary of the Public Officer, suspend the Public Officer after one month of default but not more than three months and dismiss the Public Officer after exceeding three months but does not apply to Positions for which removal from office is stipulated in the Constitution but applies to all.