Protesters Rally in Bratislava against Scrapping Whistleblower Protection Office

Bratislava, 2 December (TASR) - A protest march against scrapping the Whistleblowers Protection Office (UOO) was organised in Bratislava on Tuesday by the 'Lets Stop Corruption' Foundation, Transparency International Slovensko and Via Iuris, TASR reported on the same day. The protesters walked to the Parliament building where MPs are debating the draft bill under which the Whistleblowers Protection Office (UOO) is to be scrapped and replaced by the new Crime Victim and Whistleblowers Protection Office. Organisers of the protest call for rejecting the legislation, fearing that it will lead to reduced whistleblower protection while creating more space for corruption. Parliament is debating the proposal via a fast-track legislative procedure. The draft bill on setting up the new Crime Victim and Whistleblowers Protection Office should take over the agenda of compensating victims of crime from the Justice Ministry and replace the current Whistleblowers Protection Office. The Interior Ministry pointed to the need to respond to problems when applying the current law, in particular the insufficient rights of an employer of a protected whistleblower. jrg