Panel proposed to investigate complaints against junior staff

Dubai's top policeman has proposed an independent authority to investigate complaints against government employees. Maj. General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Police, said the formation of a Complaints Centre, or Diwan Al Mazalem, would help check disciplinary action against junior employees in government departments and make sure that such actions were justified.

Speaking to the press, Maj. Gen. Dhahi said the establishment of the Diwan Al Mazalem was necessary to ensure that decisions made by department heads and senior employees in the government involving their junior staff were not final and could be challenged through legal channels.

"When an employee believes that a penal action being taken against him or her was unjust, or rather reflects personal feelings, he or she should be able to appeal to a higher authority," he said.

The formation of a tribunal will ensure the personal security of junior employees, thus boosting their productivity and confidence in the system. The police will ensure maximum transparency through its transformation into e-government.

"We aim to avoid any kind of malpractice within the police force and outside. Any degree of unfairness at any level in the force will not be tolerated," he said. The establishment of a human rights section as an independent body within the police about four years ago was aimed at handling cases that do not come under the UAE Penal Code, and had proved very effective for scores of victims of unjust accusations.

He said the department had even handled cases against staff members in the police and referred them to the internal police court for violating ethics and the code of practices set by the police. "Those suspects who were found violating any UAE laws were referred to the court where they were prosecuted according to the law.

"As we feel that junior employees don't know where to go if they face unjust decisions by their superiors, we want to see an establishment to deal with their complaints and issue final decisions," he said.

The police will be the first department in Dubai to implement e-government in all transactions and enhance interaction with members of the public via the Internet, he said. The police will conduct their work on the Internet, including renewal of licences, registration of cars and obtaining any other certificate, in nine months' time and before the end of the deadline set for transformation to e-government.

In a few weeks the police will begin renewing driving licences over the Internet. "Drivers will file their eye test reports and recent information of residency, passports and address to the police which, in turn, will issue the licence and send it to the postal address supplied by the applicants in record time."

But the traffic department offices will remain open for those who prefer to conduct their transactions in person. After the renewal of driving licences over the Internet, car registration of Dubai vehicles will be next.

"The mechanical report will be transmitted to the traffic department through the Net, on the basis of which the department will renew the registration of vehicles upon receiving an electronic request from owners."