Implementation of Anti-Corruption Strategy begins

BELGRADE The implementation of Serbia’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy and the accompanying Action Plan for the 2013-2018 period began on Monday. Radomir Ilic, an adviser to the Serbian minister of justice and public administration, says that in the implementation of the strategy, it is important to protect persons who report cases of corruption and to eradicate political corruption. Implementation of Anti-Corruption Strategy begins Ilic told Tanjug that the basic idea behind the strategy and action plan is to strengthen, and create a network between, institutions fighting corruption, namely, the police and the prosecutor, the Anti-Corruption Agency, the State Audit Institution (DRI) and the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering. However, if the fight against corruption is to be effective, it is necessary to encourage citizens to report cases of corruption and ensure that they have adequate protection in the event of retaliation, which is why the ministry will launch a procedure to legally regulate this issue by the end of the year, Ilic said. Ilic said that the minister of justice and public administration will appoint a working group that will draw up a bill on the protection of whistleblowers, based on a model that had already been prepared by the working group of the commissioner for the protection of information of public importance and the protector of citizens. The first meeting of the working group is expected to take place in late September. “If the pace of work is as expected, a public hearing could begin in late October, and the law on the protection of whistleblowers could be adopted as early as December,” Ilic said. The National Anti-Corruption Strategy defines political corruption as the worst form of corruption. Ilic said that the Law on financing political parties will have to change in order to clearly delineate the powers of the State Audit Institution, the Anti-Corruption Agency and other bodies involved in controlling the financing of political parties. Ilic also pointed out that the National Strategy provides for strengthening one of the main pillars in fighting corruption, the Public Prosecutor's Office, by, among other things, employing financial experts. In addition to training judges and prosecutors, Ilic pointed out that prosecutors’ offices should employ financial experts as early as in October, when the new Criminal Procedure Code comes into force. Ilic said that the strategy and action plan envisage harmonization of corruption criminal case documents in electronic registers and introduction of mutually compatible electronic forms issued by the prosecutor and the police. Tanjug

Implementation of Anti-Corruption Strategy begins

Ilić told Tanjug that the basic idea behind the strategy and action plan is to strengthen, and create a network between, institutions fighting corruption, namely, the police and the prosecutor, the Anti-Corruption Agency, the State Audit Institution (DRI) and the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering.

However, if the fight against corruption is to be effective, it is necessary to encourage citizens to report cases of corruption and ensure that they have adequate protection in the event of retaliation, which is why the ministry will launch a procedure to legally regulate this issue by the end of the year, Ilić said.

Ilić said that the minister of justice and public administration will appoint a working group that will draw up a bill on the protection of whistleblowers, based on a model that had already been prepared by the working group of the commissioner for the protection of information of public importance and the protector of citizens.

The first meeting of the working group is expected to take place in late September.

“If the pace of work is as expected, a public hearing could begin in late October, and the law on the protection of whistleblowers could be adopted as early as December,” Ilić said.

The National Anti-Corruption Strategy defines political corruption as the worst form of corruption.

Ilić said that the Law on financing political parties will have to change in order to clearly delineate the powers of the State Audit Institution, the Anti-Corruption Agency and other bodies involved in controlling the financing of political parties.

Ilić also pointed out that the National Strategy provides for strengthening one of the main pillars in fighting corruption, the Public Prosecutor's Office, by, among other things, employing financial experts.

In addition to training judges and prosecutors, Ilić pointed out that prosecutors’ offices should employ financial experts as early as in October, when the new Criminal Procedure Code comes into force.

Ilić said that the strategy and action plan envisage harmonization of corruption criminal case documents in electronic registers and introduction of mutually compatible electronic forms issued by the prosecutor and the police.