KEYIR NEWS:- In an extraordinary session held earlier today, the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR) ratified a contentious amendment to the Proclamation on the Prevention and Control of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, reinforcing legal immunity for investigators, excluding acts of murder.
The revised legislation now states that investigators shall not be held criminally liable for any offence committed during the course of an investigation, save for murder, provided such actions occur due to factors beyond their control and without their explicit consent. The amendment has sparked renewed debate among lawmakers and rights advocates.
Presenting the report and recommendation, Ato Isa Boru, Deputy Chairperson of the Standing Committee for Law and Justice Affairs, cited the necessity of the revision. He recalled that the 37th regular session of Parliament had approved the draft legislation.
According to Ato Isa, the provision, as initially enacted, posed serious concerns for enforcement and risked undermining the integrity of legal safeguards.
Several Council members acknowledged the practical challenges faced by investigators but expressed unease over the expansive legal shield. Some contended that the clause, in its previous form, inadvertently paved the way for potential human rights abuses, especially in the context of undercover operations.
Critics argued that exempting investigators from criminal accountability, barring murder, could embolden misconduct and weaken institutional accountability.
The provision was initially met with sharp opposition from legal experts and civil society groups, who warned that it granted investigators disproportionate powers under the guise of national security.
Today’s amendment attempts to strike a precarious balance between operational necessity and judicial oversight.
With the exception of murder, any alleged misconduct by investigators committed in the course of duty under duress or without volition is now shielded from prosecution, an approach Parliament says is intended to protect operatives from legal repercussions while preserving constitutional boundaries.