but also apprehensive that they could not do much business autonomously of high-ranking government and party officials. 398. Although the highest judicial authorities deny it, public presentations at the validation workshops suggested that the judicial process is steeped in corruption and favouritism and that this is partly because the President nominates all heads of the bench and thus has influence over them. However, the President of the Supreme Court, the President of the Constitutional Council and the President of the Administrative Court deny any interference in the judicial processes. Indeed, it was mentioned that direct interference in court cases had taken place on only five occasions since independence, and all during the period of one-party rule. Nevertheless, besides the Constitutional Court, which enjoys a rather good reputation for integrity, presumably because of the nature of the cases it handles, CSOs seriously contended that judicial processes are susceptible to corrupt inducements. 399. The public is cynical about the government’s seriousness in combating corruption in the country. They point to the high-profile corruption cases that have been swept under the carpet, and to the high price that could result from being a whistleblower or a crusader against corruption (Box 3.6). 400. On the positive side, however, the government has put in place a comprehensive anticorruption strategy and instruments which, if applied vigorously, could drastically reduce the levels of corruption. Under the Anticorruption Strategy for 2006–10, the government’s policies to combat corruption will focus on the following: • Rationalisation and simplification of administrative procedures; • Reduction in the discretionary power of civil servants in the exercise of their duties; • Development in the public administration of a management culture ori ented towards delivering concrete results; • Strengthening of accountability procedures and mechanisms in public financial, asset and procurement management; • Establishment of mechanisms for participation by civil society and the private sector in government action; • Prosecution of a greater number of corruption cases as a way of discourag ing the development of a culture of impunity; and • Decentralisation of government action so as to bring government decisions closer to the citizens. 141