OECD Report Lists Slovakia's Deficiencies in Combating Foreign Bribery

Paris, 8 July (TASR) - Slovakia needs urgently to address serious deficiencies in its framework for fighting foreign bribery, according to the latest evaluation report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions. The report also acknowledged Slovakia's adoption of a framework for whistleblower protection, with the working group expressing concerns over the recent attempt to dismantle the Whistleblower Protection Office. The working group warned about deficiencies in Slovakia's legislation, including the definition of the offence of foreign bribery, while recent institutional reorganisations and legislative amendments have created challenges when it comes to successfully investigating and prosecuting foreign bribery. Slovakia has been advised to make itself more effective in preventing, detecting and prosecuting the offence of foreign bribery, while improving compliance with obligations under the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. According to the OECD's recommendations, Slovakia should clarify key elements of the offence of foreign bribery and the relationship between relevant corruption offences. It should also issue guidelines and conduct training for competent authorities in identifying, tracing and quantifying the proceeds of bribery, and on effective seizure and confiscation measures. In addition, measures should be taken to ensure that the prosecution service is immediately notified whenever potential foreign bribery and related offences are reported, so that the time when such allegations remain in the pre-investigation phase can be minimised. Another recommendation for Slovakia is to remove exemptions in the Whistleblower Protection Act in order to ensure that all whistleblowers are eligible for protection. Positive developments were also noted in the report, such as the adoption of new corporate liability legislation, with the working group also commending work carried out by the Whistleblower Protection Office in providing preventive protection and reviewing whistleblowing systems across the public and private sectors. According to the report, Slovakia has also reinforced its anti-corruption capacity by expanding specialised prosecutorial expertise, including international judicial cooperation. jrg/df