Serbia:
October OSCE and Serbian Finance and Economy Ministry Conference --
The OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Ministry of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Serbia will host the Conference on Establishing Efficient Tools to Prevent and Fight Corruption in Serbia, to be held on the 25th and 26th October 2002 in Belgrade.

Issues to be considered include integrity in public procurement, ethics rules for public officials, and the merits of anti-corruption agencies.

Balkans
August 27 SECI meeting in Sarajevo--

On August 27, Bosnia hosted a meeting of hte Southeast European Co-operative Initiative Center on Fighting Trans-border Crime. Representatives of the governments of Albania, BiH, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia attended, as did Western observers. The participants discussed joint measures to combat human trafficking, illegal migration, terrorism, and smuggling.

Source -- Balkan News

October Balkan-Black Sea Initiative Workshop in Sofia--
A Balkan-Black Sea Anti-Corruption Initiative inter-regional workshop will be held at the Center for the Study of Democracy on October 2, 2002. The workshop is part of a 2-day event which will be co-hosted by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the CSD and will bring together business leaders, policy makers, and experts in the field of anti-corruption from the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Emphasis will be on identifying key lessons learned from combating corruption in Southeast Europe, and how they can most effectively be applied in the Caucasus and Central Asia. The workshop will also promote the exchange of effective advocacy strategies and successful institutional reform and coalition building, focusing in particular on the work of Coalition 2000 in Bulgaria.

Workshop Agenda

More information

Draft Asset Forfeiture Law Discussed in Sofia--
On September 10, 2002, Coalition 2000 and the Center for the Study of Democracy held a round table discussion on the Draft Law on the Forfeiture to the State of Any Property Acquired by Criminal Activity. The draft law was presented by Prof. Georgi Petkanov, Minister of Interior.

More information

Draft law in Bulgarian

Slovakia: Forum on Sept. 9 discusses judicial reform--
On September 9, 2002, Transparency International Slovakia, with a financial support of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and USAID, organized The Forum on Reforms of Judicial System to conduct a discussion among experts and politicians about what kind of judicial system reform the next government should undertake. The Forum took place in Bratislava, with the participation of domestic and foreign experts, including representatives of the relevant political parties.

The judicial system is perceived as the third most corrupted area of a social life in Slovakia. According to the results of the Focus Agency survey prepared for Transparency International Slovakia in August 2002, more than 30% of citizens consider the quality of the courts and the level of bribery as not showing improvement within last four years.

More information

Administrative Barriers to Entrepreneurship --

Entrepreneurs, Business Association representatives and other private sector leaders will gather at one-day country-specific roundtables hosted by CIPE in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on October 15, Tashkent, Uzbekistan on October 17, and in Almaty, Kazakhstan on October 21 to identify and articulate specific barriers facing the business community and how to combat corruption. Discussions will identify concrete problems including the lack of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.

Following the country-specific roundtables, a regional roundtable will be held in Tashkent with representatives from all three countries, plus Tajikistan, to promote regional cooperation in attracting investment and promoting transparency.

CIPE programs

Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption --
One-hundred-and- twenty-six lawmakers from 40 countries will attend a conference next month organized to launch an international organization to fight corruption.

The conference will take place on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Oct. 13-16, and will involve discussions on practical ways parliamentarians can keep tabs on their governments through institutions such as auditor-generals offices, public accounts committees and question periods. The organization will have regional chapters around the world, designed to support legislators who risk their lives by speaking out against corrupt governments.

The meeting is co-sponsored by Canadian International Development Agency.

Source - Ottawa National Post 18 Sept 2002

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UN meets to continue negotiation of global anticorruption convention --
From 30 September-11 October 2002, the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention in
Vienna is hosting the Third Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Negotiation of a Convention against Corruption.


Updates on the negotiations

2002 TI Integrity Awards --

The Transparency International Integrity Award 2002 will be awarded to Jana Dubovcovб, a Slovak judge whose survey on corruption in the courts prompted calls for her dismissal, Dr Peter S. Schцnhцfer, a German pharmacologist who exposed the corrupt practices of drug companies, and Luis Roberto Mesquita, a Brazilian businessman who defied death threats in his campaign to clean up politics in the city of Guarulhos in the state of Sгo Paulo.

The awards will be presented on the eve of Transparency International's Annual General Meeting in Casablanca, Morocco, on Friday 11 October 2002. The ceremony will also be attended by Captain Mustapha Adib, who won the first TI Integrity Award in 2000. Jailed for blowing the whistle on corruption in the armed forces, he is only now able to receive his award: he was released from jail on 18 May 2002.

For more information on the award winners, see Transparency International website.

For more information about the Slovak court reform project headed by Judge Dubovcova, see ABA-CEELI website.

Poland:
Parliament considers anti-crime and corruption bill --
The Sejm is to review legislation proposed by the government that aims to clamp down on crime and corruption. Stemming from the recently "Secure State" program adopted by the ruling coalition, this initiative provides changes to the Criminal, Criminal Procedure and Executive Criminal Codes that toughen penalties against persons receiving material benefit from unlawful activity. Under this proposal, illegal gains would be subject to confiscation with a greater burden of proof falling on suspected criminals. Greater punishment is foreseen for corrupt practices by "public officials" whose definition has been specified in greater detail in order to improve legal clarity. As well, the use of wiretaps against suspect criminals is sanctioned to a greater extent together with the recruitment of crown witnesses for court testimony.

Trial proceedings have just begun in Warsaw centering on an organized crime ring. In an unrelated case, a Zamosc businessman has been indicted for massive VAT fraud.

Source -- Polish News Bulletin Oct. 2, 2002

Bosnia:
Party finance regulation under scrutiny in advance of October 5 elections--
Though it has been many years since Republika Srpska became one of the two postwar entities of Bosnia
and Herzegovina, next to nothing has been done to regulate the way political parties are financed, and illicit funding is still the name of the game as the 5 October general elections near, commentators allege.

Amid corruption allegations, the public is paying much attention to the Republika Srpska parliamentary election campaign. For the first time since the war that ended in 1995, elections are being organized by Bosnia's own Election Commission, in accordance with the election laws handed down by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Since 1996, elections had been organized and monitored entirely by the OSCE, using provisional rules and regulations.

Fifty-seven political parties and seven coalitions have officially registered for the general elections. In order to register, all parties were required to submit detailed financial statements, including expenditures for the past three months. Following the elections, the parties will have to submit a report of their campaign expenditures.

When asked what kind of sanctions would be imposed on parties for submitting false financial statements or accepting and spending illegal funds, Election Commission official Branko Peric said that potential sanctions include fines of up to three times the amount of illegal money accepted. Financial reports on political party income over the past three months will be posted on the commission.s website in order to be available to the public before the elections. The website, www.izbori.ba, already contains some reports, but Peric said that the commission does not have the resources to thoroughly check the over 7,000 docu ments.

The recent formation of the Auditing Service of the Electoral Commission of Bosnia-Herzegovina could be a step forward. The new service would supervise party financing not only prior to elections, but at all times. However, sources say it is difficult to control party financing in a country with little fiscal discipline.

Source: Bosnia Daily, No. 345, October 2, 2002

Georgia:
Anticorruption Commission studies reform of law enforcement ministries --
The Georgian State Chancellery has begun working with the Anticorruption Council on its study of government reorganization. The State Chancellery (the administrative office of the Presidency) is elaborating a plan to reorganize and reduce the number of the ministries and state departments, including those charged with fighting corruption.

Currently, there are 17 ministries and 10 state departments in Georgia. Georgian experts have been urging reduction of the ministries since four years ago. However, the government has eliminated only two so far. The Social Security Ministry merged with the Ministry of Healthcare and the Tax Revenues Ministry became a part of the Finance Ministry.

The Anticorruption Council is considering several different plans for downsizing the executive machinery. It must submit recommendations to the Government before next year. According to the State Chancellery's proposal, the number of 'power' (ie, law enforcement and security) ministries will not be reduced, but will undergo fundamental reforms. The State Security Ministry could be transformed into a department, an idea favored by State Security Minister Valeri Khaburdzania.

All issues concerning the 'power' ministries will be decided by a special commission, headed by Supreme Court Chairman Lado Chanturia, which is working on the reforms in the law enforcement agencies. The commission has already organized several meetings with the heads of the power ministries and foreign experts, the last of them on September 10, and is currently working on the final version of the reform proposal. The commission is to submit the proposals concerning reform in the law enforcement agencies by October 1.

The current draft of the proposal considers merging parts of State Security Ministry, the Internal Affairs Ministry and the Investigation Service of the Procuracy into a single body, similar to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States. Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili is said to support the idea.

.

Source: Online Magazine, Georgia

Moldova:
Asset monitoring law comes into effect--
On Sept. 5, 2002, Moldova's new asset monitoring law came into effect. The law requires disclosure and review of the incomes and property of statesmen, judges, prosecutors, governmental officials and certain categories of leading state employees.

Such officials, including the President, must state their incomes, movable and immovable property, financial liabilities (including those of their family members), and shares in economic entities. Income and property both in Moldova and outside is subject to disclosure.

The statements must be submitted within 20 days from appointment to the post, and then during the January of each subsequent year. Upon leaving the post, the state official must submit his or her final statement.

If the Control Commission discovers signs of illicit income, it refers the case to the Center against Economic Crime and Corruption.

The Law compels the President, members of parliament and government, General Prosecutor, National Bank Chairman, and other high level officials to annually publish their statements of income in the press.

Failure to submit the statements, or presenting false information subjects the official to potential administrative or criminal punishment.

Source: Infotag, 5 Sept 2002

Bosnia:
Office of the High Representative adopts conflicts law for BiH--
On May 23, the UN Office of the High Representative adopted a conflicts of interest law for governmental institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The law covers conflicts of interest, gift restrictions, and a requirement for personal financial disclosure, and contains a code of conduct.

The same day, the UN OHR adopted a BiH level law on civil service.

Text of the law: UN Office of the High Representative

Ukraine:
Public council on free speech created in Ukraine --
Over 50 media and political leaders in Ukraine signed on September 17 a declaration creating a new Public Council on Freedom of Speech and Information Issues, that will work to establish cooperation between elected officials and the community on matters related to free speech, Internews-Ukraine reported.
The council aims to improve the current legislation and regulations affecting Ukrainian mass media. Council members will provide analysis and commentary on draft laws and decrees, determining whether they are in accordance with European Union regulations. They will also monitor the activities of central and local authorities in Ukraine as they relate to national information policy, freedom of speech, and free access to information.

Members of the new council will include representatives of public organizations, journalists, scientists, and media experts. They will be drawn from various media assistance and civil society organizations including Internews-Ukraine, Article 19, Europe XXI Century, Public Radio, and the Academy of Ukrainian Press.
For more information on the new council, visit Internews-Ukraine or contact Taras Shevchenko at shevchenko@internews.ua.

Source: International Journalists' Network

Poland:
Anti-Corruption Property Declaration for government officials --
The Polish government has adopted a strategy document against corruption, which calls for property declarations for Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration (MSWiA , as well as Treasury and transportation services, personnel. Police officers are forbidden to keep large sums of money, and will be assigned duty without prior notice as to post. According to MSWiA minister Krzysztof Janik, the government is also going to work on a new public procurement bill to set stricter rules for bid and tender procedures. Civil service employment rules will also be reformed.

Source: Polish News Bulletin 18 Sept 2002

Selected news headlines collected from various news sources:

To get more detailed information go to the News Page

ALBANIA:
Vice governor of Albanian central bank arrested on corruption charges -- Associated Press 1 Oct 2002

ARMENIA:
Many Armenians doubt that World Bank anticorruption program will have impact -- RFE/RL Crime and Corruption Watch 30 Aug 2002

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA:
Serb Police Chief Assassinated -- Transitions On-line 24 - 30 Sept 2002

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA:
Principal Deputy High Representative states that the lack of the law for the protection and
insurance of investments and investors, and the corruption in the country are the
main obstacles to the inflow of foreign and local investments -- Bosnia Daily News 30 Sept 2002

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA:
Bosnian Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija under siege by the media for allegedly falsifying information on the size and value of his and family property -- Beta News 19 Sept 2002

BULGARIA:
Police step up war on mafia -- Institute for War and Peace Reporting - Balkan Crisis Rep. 369 24 Sept 2002

CENTRAL ASIA:
USAID Central Asian-American Enterprise Fund staffers convicted of fraud and kickbacks -- USAID Press Office 23 Sept 2002

CROATIA:
Transparency of privatization of state oil company questioned -- Beta News 4 Sept 2002

CZECH REPUBLIC:
Watchdog critical of Czech government's anticorruption programme -- BBC Monitoring Service 30 Sept 2002

LATVIA:
Parliament rejects proposed anticorruption chief -- RFE/RL Newsline 20 Sept 2002

MOLDOVA:
IMF official - Chisinau government has to work hard to ensure legislative stability and fight against corruption -- TI Moldova website, Sept 2002

POLAND:
Austrian police charged with shielding Polish Mafia chiefs -- RFE/RL Crime and Corruption Watch 19 Sept 2002

POLAND:
Home Ministry confirms high corruption rate in administration -- Polish Daily News 23 Sept 2002

ROMANIA:
Press in Romania solicits bribes from businesses -- Financial Times 29 Sept 2002

ROMANIA:
On August 16, Romanian Cabinet approves agreement with Albania to fight organized crime -- Rompres 19 Aug 2002

ROMANIA:
Police force dogged by allegations of violence and corruption gets multi-million dollar overhaul -- IWPR Balkan Crisis Rep. 368 18 Sept 2002

RUSSIA:
Russian border guards dismiss Georgia's bribe allegations -- BBC Monitoring Service 27 Sept 2002

RUSSIA: Emergency Aid Ministry officials accused of giving Iraq "millions" in bribes  --RFE/RL Crime and Corruption Watch 30 Aug 2002

RUSSIA: Government offers insurance against bureacracy and corruption  --World Bank Press Review 23 Sep 2002

RUSSIA: Former oil executive accused of embezzlement  --RFE/RL Newsline 17 Sept 2002

TURKMENISTAN: Missing millions open window onto central bank corruption --RFE/RL Central Asia Report 26 Sept 2002

TURKMENISTAN: President attacks corruption in TV appearance--BBC Monitoring Service 21 Sept 2002

UKRAINE:
Prosecutor-general appeals for Tymoshenko's immunity to be stripped -- RFE/RL Crime and Corruption Watch 30 Aug 2002

UKRAINE:
Ukraine's 'velvet revolution' gathers speed -- RFE/RL Newsline 17 Sept 2002

YUGOSLAVIA:
U.N. police arrest two ethnic Albanians officials for corruption -- AP 24 Sept 2002

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