A special committee will be set up to define the new powers of the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP) and the Control and Investigation Board (CIB), according to an informed source. The committee will consist of representatives from the CIB, BIP, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Civil Service and General Auditing Bureau (GAB). The committee is being set up under a Royal Decree. Informed sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the BIP and CIB will continue their current functions until the committee has drafted a mechanism to determine the new powers of each body. According to a decision by the Council of Ministers, investigation of criminal cases involving bribery and forgery filed against government employees, and handling prosecutions in the courts, would be assigned to the BIP. Its financial division would handle some criminal cases. The role of the CIB would be restricted to investigation and prosecution of administrative violations by government employees, such as abuse of office and influence. The sources said it was likely the CIB would be renamed the Administrative Control Authority (ACA). The GAB role would be limited to ensuring the financial integrity of all government accounts. The sources said investigators would be transferred from the CIB to the BIP on condition they have university degrees in the Shariah. The sources see that the decision to further define the powers of the two bodies would boost control over government authorities, unify procedures and get rid of overlapping powers which had hampered the work of the authorities. __
