Back Georgia: Council of Europe anti-corruption body calls for stronger oversight and accountability in top executive functions and the police

Georgia: Council of Europe anti-corruption body calls for stronger oversight and accountability in top executive functions and the police

The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), in a report published today, calls for determined measures to prevent corruption in Georgia in respect of persons with top executive functions and law enforcement officials.

GRECO recognises that a few positive steps were taken in recent years, including the adoption of the Law on Combatting Corruption, which contains a number of integrity-related rules. Georgia has a fairly comprehensive system for the declaration of assets and financial interests and these declarations are made public online. At the time of the evaluation visit in 2023, Georgia was in the process of establishing new corruption risk management mechanisms and efforts were being made to reinforce internal monitoring mechanisms for law enforcement to notably address the major problem of police ill-treatment.

In its report, GRECO calls for the adoption of a specific strategy to prevent corruption within the executive, as no new national Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan have been developed since 2020. There is no code of conduct that applies specifically to persons with top executive functions and clear guidance on conflicts of interest and other integrity related matters should be developed for them.

The report also notes that integrity checks are missing in the appointment procedure to prevent risks of conflicts of interest in top executive functions. Lobbying regulations are in place, but not enforced in practice. A risk-based approach in the process of selection of declarations of assets and financial interests to be monitored needs to be developed. GRECO also considers that additional measures are required to ensure that the newly established Anti-Corruption Bureau can adequately fulfil its role, including by revising its legal framework to ensure an increased operational independence and by providing it with adequate financial and human resources.

GRECO recommends increasing transparency regarding the nomination of advisers in the Government, applying more stringent rules to gifts and other benefits as well as introducing broadly applicable rules on post-employment restrictions.

In addition, the Georgian authorities should ensure the independence and effectiveness of criminal investigations and prosecutions of persons with top executive functions suspected of having committed corruption-related offences. GRECO also notes that further steps are required to ensure timely access to information and to enhance proactive transparency.

Regarding law enforcement (the Patrol Police, the Central Criminal Police and the Border Police), GRECO recommends that an operational anti-corruption strategy be established, coupled with action plans for the law enforcement agencies. Georgia should also ensure that background checks/vetting are carried out at regular intervals for all levels and more frequently depending on police officers’ exposure to corruption risks and the required security levels.

GRECO further notes the need for mandatory and continuous integrity training for police officers throughout their career, that the Police Code of Ethics requires updating and that a procedure for police officers to seek confidential advice on ethical and integrity issues should be introduced. Finally, whistleblower protection measures need to be adopted and implemented in the police.

The implementation of the recommendations addressed to Georgia will be assessed by GRECO in 2025 through its compliance procedure.

  •  Link to the report: ENG – FRA – GEO*

* unofficial translation, as provided by the authorities of Georgia

Strasbourg 09/07/2024
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Ever since antiquity, corruption has been one of the most widespread and insidious of social evils. When it involves public officials and elected representatives, it is inimical to the administration of public affairs. Since the end of the 19th century, it has also been seen as a major threat in the private sphere, undermining the trust and confidence which are necessary for the maintenance and development of sustainable economic and social relations. It is estimated that hundreds of billions of Euros are paid in bribes every year. (more)

A word from the President of GRECO

Welcome to this window on GRECO’s world!
I invite you to use it to look into the work we do with our 48 member States. We use the dynamics of collective expertise and peer pressure to accomplish action by individual governments that will build durable barriers against corruption and bring to justice those who misuse their position for personal gain to the detriment of society as a whole.

Whether inspired by GRECO’s work, that of others with an anti-corruption agenda or our own experiences and principles, each one of us has a role to play in changing the mind-set to zero tolerance of corruption.

Members of GRECO Bureau

The composition of GRECO's Bureau is the following: António DELICADO (Portugal), Vita HABJAN BARBORIČ (Slovenia), David MEYER (United Kingdom), President Marin MRČELA (Croatia), Vice-President Monika OLSSON (Sweden), Olivier GONIN (Switzerland) and Panagiota VATIKALOU (Greece).

 BEWARE OF SCAMS

It has been brought to our attention that the name of GRECO is being used for fraudulent purposes. These scams may appear to use letterhead with the GRECO logo, or contain the signatures of actual or fictitious senior GRECO officials, aiming to give the appearance of a legitimate GRECO correspondence.  Sometimes they may include legitimate website addresses to give a veneer of credibility to the scam.

Typically, the solicitations asked potential victims to provide personal information such as signatures or bank account information, and to pay certain advance fees, often described as "processing fees." In return, the potential victim was promised sums of money that the person soliciting the "fees" had no intention of paying. In some cases, those seeking the funds used the names of actual GRECO staff members to sign the letters in order to bolster their credibility.

GRECO, the Council of Europe's anti-corruption body, monitors the way in which its member countries implement the Council of Europe conventions and other instruments at national level. GRECO does not contact members of the public directly by email, telephone, Whatsapp or any other means about specific financial transactions or personal information.

We caution the public to be very wary of these and other similar solicitations that falsely claim to be affiliated with the GRECO. If you have received such a communication, we advise you to immediately terminate that contact.  If you have already paid them money, please contact your local law enforcement without delay.