A new draft law submitted to Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis would require officials to voluntarily hand over to the state any property, privilege or benefit obtained through a conflict of interest, or pay its equivalent value.
Under the draft “Law on Conflict of Interest,” officials who acquire property, privileges or benefits as a result of a conflict of interest would be obliged to return the property or pay its value to the state voluntarily. The measure is aimed at closing gaps that allow officials to profit from situations where personal interests clash with their public duties.
If an official refuses to return the property or pay the value of the privilege or benefit obtained, the matter will be settled in court. In such cases, based on a lawsuit filed by the relevant authority, a final court ruling would allow the property, privilege or benefit — or its monetary value — to be seized compulsorily and without compensation in favor of the state.
Draft law heads to parliamentary committees
The “Law on Conflict of Interest” was submitted to the Milli Majlis on October 28. On October 29, the bill is set to be discussed at a joint meeting of parliament’s Committee on Legal Policy and State Building and its Committee on Defense, Security and Anti-Corruption.
