The majority of people questioned believed that accountability of all — irrespective of position — could make a difference if society is to rid itself of the scourge.

According to the NSHR, 56.72 percent of all the 335 people approached so far believed that equality before law and punishing big culprits before small ones were important factors for the success of the body.

It said 22.39 percent called for naming and shaming the corrupt, whether individuals or establishments, while 7.76 percent considered freedom of the press, opinion and expression to be important tools for surveillance and monitoring.

The NSHR also said 4.48 percent believed that the use of the state-of-the-art technology, transparency and e-government — if thoroughly applied —would play a pivotal role in the success of the bureau.

It added that 4.48 percent of the citizens questioned called for giving a bigger role to civil society organizations to combat corruption, while 4.18 percent asked for the issuance of stricter laws against corruption.

Meanwhile, a number of lawyers considered the establishment of an authority to combat corruption as a very important move in the war on graft.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau was established in March under a royal decree by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. The lawyers also called for harsher punishments for the corrupt.

The NSHR, on the other hand, said lack of transparency and clear vision in the past had greatly harmed the proper execution of economic and social projects.

It asked the bureau to start with working to change people’s conduct and question men of power and influence in case slackness is seen in the implementation of development projects.

The NSHR asked the organization to have clear-cut modalities for punishing the corrupt and said the bureau should swiftly move to catch the corrupt wherever it saw irregularities.