To commit and not prohibit, when in your power, is the same thing; and he who does not, when he can prohibit, is in fault.

Explanation

He who has the power to prevent a wrong and fails to act is as culpable as the one who commits it — the duty to prevent evil is as binding as the duty not to commit it.

Where this applies

• A police chief who could have stopped brutality in his department but chose not to.
• A supervisor who watched safety violations happen without intervening.