COMMENT | One of the most important tests of any government is how it responds when allegations of corruption or abuse of power surface within powerful institutions.

What matters is not how loud leaders speak about integrity, but whether systems are allowed to function calmly, firmly and without interference.

Recently, the country was unsettled by reports involving a senior figure in the army, linked to allegations of corruption and misuse of power. Given the sensitivity of the position, public concern was expected. What followed, however, offered a clear indication of how the current administration is choosing to act.

The defence minister’s decision to immediately place the individual on leave pending investigation was administratively sound. Such a move helps ensure that inquiries can proceed without disruption, undue influence or conflict of interest.

It also signals that...