Azerbaijan, Baku, 5 September / Trend corr. K.Zarbaliyeva / Judges will deliver a report on their incomes. This was said to journalists by MP Ali Huseynov, a member of the Judicial Board.
MP said that the Azerbaijani Parliament adopted a Bill to declare incomes. Under the Bill, all state officials including judges will deliver a report on their incomes.
According to Huseynov, the Cabinet of Ministers was charged to specify the form of the declaration and a Task Group from the State Anti Corruption Commission takes necessary measures.
MP is not agreed with the opinion that the bribe taking and corruption facts have been widely spread in Azerbaijan.
Huseynov noted that the Judicial Board fined several judges for corruption infringement. Board takes serious steps to fight with corruption.
"Judge should know that he has to protect interests of citizens resting on the law. Serious investigations are expected to be carried out against illegal facts," Huseynov said.
John Walker, Senior Judge in the United States Appeal Court said during his visit to Baku that if a big difference is revealed between the annual judges' incomes in America, a criminal case will be sued against the judges.
Walker said that judges in America deliver report on the incomes yearly. The Property Declaration shows approximate cost of the property. "If a big difference to be revealed between the current and next reports of judges, a criminal case will be filed against these judges. Furthermore, the corresponding departments will investigate the root of the incomes," Walker aid.
Despite there are instructions according to which state officials should deliver a property declaration, it's mechanism has not been worked out so far.
Ramiz Rzayev, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan, said in his latest interview to journalists that certain steps were taken to work out the property declaration by judges. The program is expected to be implemented soon.
Wolfgang Rau, Executive Secretary of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) Council of Europe told Trend that certain remarks had been made in GRECO's report due to the current property declaration check mechanism, which state officials and judges have to deliver. GRECO recommended Azerbaijan to control financial statements. In October 2008, GRECO will appreciate the measures taken by the Azerbaijani Government in the sphere.
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