Published: 05.04.2021.

The Whistleblowing Law, which entered into force on 1 May 2019, gives everyone the right to raise an alarm about a threat to the public interest observed in the working environment in the public and private sectors.

Whistleblowing is the ability of anyone to contribute to the legitimate, fair, open, and transparent functioning of an institution by exercising their right to express their views freely.

Whistleblower is a natural individual who provides information about a possible violation that may harm public interest, if the person considers the information to be true and the information was obtained in the performance of their duties or as part of being legally hired, in relation to the performance of their duties.

A whistleblowing report can be submitted:

Information about further communication:

  •  within three days of the decision to accept or reject an application as a whistleblower report, a reply will be sent to the applicant (using the contact details provided in Section 6 of the report).
  • If necessary for the examination of the whistleblower’s report, the applicant may be contacted for further information.
  • If the application is recognised to be a whistleblower report, the competent authority will inform the applicant of the progress of the examination within two months after the application is recognised to be a whistleblower report.
  • In the case of any doubts, you may contact the whistleblowing contact of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (trauksme@knab.gov.lv).

The law states that an internal whistleblowing system may be used to raise the alarm. This means that anyone employed by an institution can report a possible breach in the institution’s activities that may affect the public interest, so that it can be remedied in time, before the institution’s reputation is jeopardised, before it suffers damage, or before the competent public authorities are involved. It is the employees who can spot potential breaches and, thanks to their professional knowledge and experience, assess the danger of these breaches.

Using the internal whistleblowing system for reporting puts the report closer to the root cause of the problem and enables concerns to be promptly assessed, and potential misconduct or systemic weaknesses, to be corrected.

When a whistleblower report is received, the applicant’s personal data are pseudonymised.

The whistleblower’s personal data, the report and any written or physical evidence attached to it, and the materials of the examination of the whistleblower’s report, have the status of restricted information.

Any person (institution) receiving or handling a whistleblower report must ensure that the whistleblower’s personal data are properly protected. A whistleblower’s personal data may only be disclosed to persons (institutions) who need them for the examination of the whistleblower’s report or the violation case opened on the basis of the report, or for the protection of the whistleblower or their relatives. Find out more about whistleblower protection in the protection section of the www.trauksmescelejs.lv website.

You may contact the institution’s contacts for advice on whistleblowing, and to find out the progress on your report.

For more Information about whistleblowing, visit www.trauksmescelejs.lv.