In the first half of 2022, the Center for Providing Free Legal Aid in the Fight Against Corruption Transparency International in BiH (TIBiH) dealt with 154 cases related to reporting corruption, and recorded 817 calls from citizens to the free line for reporting corruption 0800 55555.
State administration continues to represent the sector in which the most irregularities were recorded, and in the first six months of 2022, 104 reports were recorded in this area, which represents an increase compared to the same period last year (66).
Judiciary (11), education (11) and the private sector (14) are the areas in which the Center records a constant number of cases, while in the field of health there is a noticeable decrease in the number of corruption reports in (3) the period from January to July 2022 compared to the previous year, when the COVID-19 pandemic put negative pressure on this area.
The largest number of cases in that period refers to the reports of persons who witnessed corruption, namely 84, which is an evident increase compared to previous years.
Reports of whistleblowers (17) and persons who are victims of corruption (43), although relatively numerous, do not record a significant increase compared to the previous period, which suggests that citizens are more aware of the corruption they witness in their environment, but they still miss it necessary institutional and legal protection in order to decide to report in situations where they are victims of corruption or when they feel that they can suffer the consequences of reporting.
Based on the actions of the Center, in that period as many as 12 judgments were passed in favor of TIBiH against public authorities at all levels of government in BiH, namely against: the Banking Agency of the Federation of BiH, Elektroprenos BiH, the Federal Ministry of Displaced Persons and Refugees, RUGIP RS, the Assembly ZDK, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the RS, JP “Roads RS”, KJKP “Rad” Sarajevo, Vodovoda Kozarska Dubica, City of Trebinje, Municipality of Hadzici, and RTV Velika Kladusa.
In the same period, three recommendations of the Institution of Ombudsman for Human Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina were issued based on petitions from the Center, and 11 administrative disputes were initiated against public bodies for failure to provide information of public importance, TIBiH announced.
The TIBiH Center for Providing Legal Assistance in the Fight Against Corruption provides advisory legal assistance to citizens, who can contact the Center via the free number 0800 55555 or via the platform zvejnikorupciju.org
