CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE
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tax and customs fraud;
over-invoicing of services provided to the state;
under-invoicing of fees owed to the state;
misappropriation of administrative, financial and material assets;
swindling citizens and companies;
influence-peddling, misappropriation of funds and favouritism in
procurement procedures; and
election fraud characterised by bribing people.
253.
Legal framework for the anti-corruption campaign in Benin. At the local
level, the draft anti-corruption bill has not yet been adopted. The bill was sent
to the National Assembly by decree on 31 March 2006 and, although this was
done according to emergency procedures, the bill is yet to be passed.
254.
The money-laundering law, on the other hand, was passed by the National
Assembly in May 2006.
255.
At the international level, the African Union Convention on Preventing and
Combating Corruption has been signed but not yet ratified.
256.
The United Nations Convention on Corruption (Mérida) was ratified on 12
August 2004. According to the Benin’s Governance Profile report, it is
proving difficult to integrate this instrument into Benin’s laws.
257.
Institutional framework for the anti-corruption campaign. Several
structures and institutions have been put in place by the government or at the
initiative of civil society as part of the anti-corruption campaign. They include:
an assets verification committee;
an anti-corruption committee;
an SOS Corruption Committee;
the unit for the improvement of public morals placed under the office of
the president of the republic (1996);
the forum for the mobilisation of civil society against corruption, which
gave birth to FONAC in 1998;
the Ahanhanzo Glèlè commission, created in April 1999 to compile all
cases of embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds from 1996 to
1999. Out of 294 cases, 120 have been taken to court;
a development projects implementation control unit (2004);
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