No need for new graft law CBI, CVC tell house panel

The heads of India's central investigating agencies on Tuesday suggested to a Parliamentary standing committee that the Prevention of Corruption Act should be strengthened to prevent the vexed issue of bribery and stashing of illicit funds abroad.

The heads of the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Central Vigilance Commission, and the Enforcement Directorate said in reference to bribery cases involving foreign entities that any new law to prevent this would only add confusion.

They preferred tightening of the exisitng law. "Amending existing laws is far easier than having new measures," a member said after the meeting.

The parliamentary standing committee on law and justice and personnel is scrutinising the 'prevention of bribery of foreign public officials and officials of the public international organisations bill 2011', which seeks to punish foreign public officials or officials of international organisations accepting graft money.

The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in March last year, and is now being scrutinised by the house panel before being passed on to the Rajya Sabha for approval.

The proposed legislation confers power to the central government to enter into agreements with foreign countries to enforce its provisions.

Among those giving their views before the panel were CBI director A P Singh and CVC Pradeep Kumar.

The committee is headed by Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi.