The Commissioner of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday Wednesday 3rd April, 2024 extended the period of declaration of income, assets and liabilities by public officers to, on or before the 30th April, 2024, as the 31st March, 2024 statutory deadline for submission of Asset Declaration Forms has elapsed.
The ACC extended the period of declaration pursuant to Section 119(4) of the Anti-Commission Act 2008 (as Amended in 2019).

Among other things, the Commission made it “known that pursuant to Section 119(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 (as Amended in 2019), all public officers who are to declare their assets and those persons who have failed to do so are now in default.”

The same Section 119(1) furthered that “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 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 anti-graft agency also stated that Section 122(A) of the said Amendment 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 this Act, be liable to administrative sanctions as set out in subsection (5) as follows: a) Withholding the salary of the Public Officer; b) Suspend the Public Officer after one month of default but not more than three months; and c) Dismiss the Public Officer after exceeding three months (This does not apply to Positions for which removal from office is stipulated in the Constitution but applies to all).”

It is against the aforesaid background that the ACC has informed “all public officers that have not yet submitted their Asset Declaration Forms with the Commission to make good use of this extension,” noting that “beyond the said date, default by public officers will be treated as deliberate and defaulters will face the applicable appropriate penalties as prescribed by law above.”

The Commission however entreated public officers that have specific challenges to promptly notify the Commission for specific remedy, adding that those having challenges with filling the form or need further assistance should contact the Assets Declaration Office of the Commission and assistance would be provided.