Periodic update (November 2003)
Successful fight against corruption is among the top priorities of the Government. Implementing this priority through the establishment of a single agency entrusted with a task both to combat and prevent corruption, elaboration of an anti-corruption strategy and continuing work on improvement of the legislation is a remarkable progress on the way of strengthening the institutional and legal framework for enforcement of anti-corruption policy.
- The Law on Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau foresees that the Bureau is responsible for coordination of cooperation of the agencies involved in the anti-corruption activities in line with a National Strategy for Preventing and Combating Corruption. The Bureau has elaborated a draft National Strategy for Preventing and Combating Corruption and it has been already submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval. Based on this Strategy the Bureau in close co-operation with all the agencies and institutions involved in the corruption prevention and combating has elaborated a National Programme for Preventing and Combating Corruption. The Program has been submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval.
- Currently, within the competence of the Bureau almost 20 criminal cases. Few of them the Bureau has received from other law enforcement institutions for investigation. The rest criminal cases the Bureau itself has initiated. Almost 10 cases are passed to the Prosecutor's office for criminal prosecution. The remaining cases are in the stage of investigation.
- The Bureau is receiving daily considerable amount of claims, inquiries and complaints on corruption issues. Therefore, to facilitate procedure of lodging complains recently (end of August) the Bureau established Report Centre. Report Centre is responsible for receiving reports on corruption cases from people - anonymous or in person, in writing, by phone, e-mail or fax.
- In the area of public procurement since the Bureau has started to work it has examined more than 40 cases in regard to violation of public procurement procedures and currently there are about 20 in depth examinations based on the complaints with respect to violations of procurement procedures.
- The Bureau has asked the Court to stop activities of 11 political parties for not submitting the annual declaration on finances as provided in the respective law. The Court has ruled in 5 cases to stop activities of respective political parties for not submitting annual declarations. During examinations of these annual financial declarations of parties the Bureau has detected those 18 political parties financial declarations are not in line with the respective law.
- Currently, the Bureau is implementing an extensive examination of the political parties' finances as it is envisaged in the respective law. So far, the Bureau has detected that 13 political parties have received donations which are in contradiction with the Law on Financing of Political Parties in total amount of more than 200 000 euro.
- The Bureau in cooperation with other involved institutions is elaborating the necessary amendments in order to reinforce the Bureau's capabilities to implement the anti-corruption policy.