Oxygen Scam: Bureaucratic Hurdles Impede Official Prosecutions

Imagine government workers might have done something wrong, like in a scam.

Before they can be brought to court, the people in charge of the worker's department often have to say it's okay to sue them.

However, sometimes the department says no, even if the police think the worker did something bad.

This has happened in a recent case about oxygen cylinders.

Experts disagree on whether this is fair.

Some think it protects the worker too much, and it should be the courts that decide.

Others say the department has the right to protect its workers.

There are special rules, but often, if the wrongdoing wasn't part of the worker's job, a special approval isn't needed.