The News

Senators Introduce Anti-corruption Legislation

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO, 11ABRIL2016.- Fernando Herrera, senador del PAN; Miguel Barbosa, senador del PRD; Ricardo Anaya, dirigente nacional del PAN; Agustín Basave, dirigente nacional del PRD; Marko Cortés, diputado del PAN; Francisco Martínez, diputado del PRD, y el senador Zoé Robledo, durante la conferencia conjunta que ofrecieron los partidos con el propósito de fijar una posición en materia de combate a la corrupción. FOTO: CUARTOSCURO.COM

The Senate caucuses of the center-left Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) and the conservative National Action Party (PAN) presented a bill to modify the powers of the federal Attorney General’s Office (PGR) to establish two special office within the PGR for the prosecution of crimes of corruption and electoral crimes, respectively.

The bill proposes to establish Special Anti-corruption Prosecution Office, which will independently investigate, prevent and monitor for crimes of corruption.

The head special prosecutor will be named by a two-thirds supermajority in the Senate, and can be removed by the Attorney General. Such a removal can be overruled by a simple majority in the senate.

The Anticorruption Prosecution Office will be responsible for enforcing anti-corruption laws passed by the legislature and building mechanisms of cooperation and collaboration with all three levels of government for the investigation of crimes of corruption.

The Office would have a budget of at least 4 percent of the total budget of the PGR.

The bill would also establish the Office for the Prosecution of Electoral Crimes, which would be an independent body for the investigation, prevention and prosecution of electoral crimes. It would be responsible for enforcing electoral laws and working with other authorities to prevent and fight electoral crimes.

THE NEWS