At the backdrop of what was mentioned in its 15th annual report:
AMAN Coalition denounces the summoning of two of its senior level personnel to investigate with them regarding a complaint submitted by the President's Bureau to the Public Prosecution Office (PPO)
Ramallah - AMAN Coalition for Accountability and Integrity condemns its summoning to the Public Prosecution Office at the backdrop of releasing their 15th report on 17 May, titled "Reality of Integrity and Anti-Corruption in Palestine 2022" under the slogan: "The Occupation, Division, and Political Corruption: A Closed Loop that Feeds Each Other". The Coalition warned that they are being prosecuted through a lawsuit filed against them by the President's Bureau for the accusations of "Defamation" and "Ousting Senior Officials" (from their work). The said report was published on the Coalition's website.
The Public Prosecution Office (PPO) summoned today Dr. Azmi Shuaibi, Advisor of AMAN's Board of Directors for Anti-Corruption Affairs, and AMAN's Executive Director Mr. Isam Haj-Hussein. Then their statements were taken regarding what was stated in the report, especially the issue of whitewashing dates produced in settlements, which took a different turn in 2022, within attempts to tackle this matter outside the normal course of investigation.
It is also worth noting that the Public Prosecution Office (PPO) will hold another session tomorrow morning to further investigate with them. Hence, AMAN Coalition is warning of restricting the space of civil society organizations (CSOs) regarding the issuance of objective reports, and this is disrupting their due work and activities, thus contravening the guarantees set forth in the Palestinian Basic Law, Law of Charitable Associations and NGOs and the right to criticism, and the freedom of opinion and expression. Also, the Coalition will follow up the curtailing of civil space, in coordination with civil society organizations.
AMAN Coalition issues its annual reports to provide recommendations to Palestinian decision-makers and stakeholder parties, to help them adopt suitable procedures and measures to strengthen the national system of integrity and corruption prevention. Within this framework, AMAN stresses the importance of having those in charge take wise decisions that serve citizens' interests and the public benefit to restore public trust in state institutions. This will, in turn, alleviate the burdens of the current period. Therefore, AMAN Coalition condemns the prosecution of civil society organizations active in issues of public interest and public funds.
