The anti-corruption oversight bodies require adequate verification function to ensure the effective enforcement of one of the main prevention tools at their disposal - the declarations of assets and income by public officials. In Montenegro, the Agency for Prevention of Corruption is taking steps to streamline risk-based controls for better outcomes in this area. Namely, with technical assistance from the Action against Economic Crime in Montenegro, the Agency has begun developing a comprehensive methodology for verifying financial disclosures. 

The draft methodology was presented during a workshop held on 7 November 2023, which served as a central platform to engage in discussions and exchange perspectives with the Council of Europe experts. Once finalised, the methodology will provide an internal guide for the Agency for Prevention of Corruption in conducting thorough verification processes. For each stage of verification, it defines triggers and expected outputs and narrows the focus of the in-depth verification to cover public officials with elevated risks. 

Following the methodology's steps in daily operations will allow the Agency to identify discrepancies in incoming and outgoing cash flows more efficiently. These discrepancies may serve as triggers for investigating potential inexplicable wealth among public officials, potentially leading to further examination by the prosecutor's office. 

In this manner, by contributing to the increased efficiency of this preventive tool, the Action strives to strengthen measures against corruption and promote a culture of accountability among public officials in Montenegro.

The activity was organised by the Action against economic crime in Montenegro, within the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.