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Dutch News: Dutch Anti-corruption law needs to be amended to make it easier to prosecute public officials, say Prosecutors and Police

February 4, 2025

The push for reform follows corruption investigations including a probe into former EU commissioner Neelie Kroes and her alleged involvement with Uber and the Dutch tax office. The investigation initially launched in December 2023 was dropped due to insufficient evidence that services were provided in exchange for a gift. Similarly, a corruption case against The Hague politician Richard de Mos was dismissed for lack of legal grounds…

European Parliament, Council, and Commission begin final negotiations on the EU Anti-Corruption Directive (proposed in May 2023), with key changes ahead and adoption is expected by Q1- Q2 2025

January 30, 2025

The key discussion points include: Establishing consistent definitions for corruption-related offenses, Lifting immunity for high-ranking officials in serious corruption cases, Supporting Deferred Prosecution Agreements for corporate compliance, Imposing fines of 5% to 10% of global turnover on corrupt companies. Trilogue discussions expected to conclude and finalise the directive in Q1-Q2 2025…

OCCRP: Ukraine arrests military psychiatrist in a $1M corruption case, accused of amassing wealth while assessing individuals’ fitness for military service

January 23, 2025

The former Armed Forces chief psychiatrist Oleh Druz is accused of illicitly amassing wealth, including cash, luxury properties and BMW luxury vehicles registered under relatives’ names. Facing charges of “illegal enrichment” and “false information” he could face up to 10 years in prison…

GRECO assesses Poland’s progress on anti-corruption measures for parliamentarians, judges, and prosecutors, along with judicial reforms from 2016 to 2018

January 17, 2025

GRECO commends Poland’s efforts to restore the independence of the National Council of the Judiciary (NCJ), but identifies a need for better scrutiny of prosecutors’ asset declarations and additional integrity counselling. Finds limited evidence of progress with respect to Parliamentarians. Key unmet recommendations include guidance on conflicts of interest, gift acceptance, asset declarations, and ethics standards for MPs and senators. Improved monitoring mechanisms are also needed.

OECD report on ‘Reforming Bulgaria’s Anti-corruption Authorities’ evaluates the asset forfeiture system and recommends improvements for detecting, tracing, and recovering illegal assets

January 16, 2025

The first section of this report assesses the development and implementation of the CACIAF’s Strategic Plan 2022-2024 against the OECD Recommendation on Public Integrity and international best practices. The second provides an overview of the current asset forfeiture system in Bulgaria…

EPPO Romania indicts 5 individuals, including the former Mayor, and one Company for bribery, fraud, and corruption linked to EU-funded projects for sports fields and a multifunctional centre

January 3, 2025

Between 2019 and 2021 the mayor and others allegedly falsified documents and statements to illegally obtain €200,000 and took a bribe of €55,000 from a company. Four defendants remain under judicial control facing potential prison sentences if convicted…

Reuters: Former IMF chief Rodrigo Rato sentenced to a new prison term for corruption

January 2, 2025

A Madrid court has sentenced former IMF chief Rodrigo Rato to nearly five years in prison for corruption, a ruling he plans to appeal calling it “unfair.” Rato has denied wrongdoing throughout the nine-year investigation. He previously served a two-year prison term for embezzlement during his time as chairman of Bankia…

OECD Working Group on Bribery expresses strong concerns about Poland’s lack of progress in fighting foreign bribery

December 20, 2024

The OECD has called on Poland to urgently address major shortcomings in its implementation of the Anti-Bribery Convention, citing minimal progress since 2022. Key issues include stalled judicial independence reforms, lack of corporate liability enforcement, inadequate whistleblower protections, and no national strategy to combat foreign bribery. Positive steps include progress on money laundering recommendations and new prosecutorial guidelines. Poland must submit an action plan by March 2025 for review.

OECD Anti-Bribery Convention Report on Sweden details its achievements and challenges, including in enforcing its anti-foreign bribery laws

December 19, 2024

The Working Group’s Phase 4 evaluation highlights Sweden’s inadequate corporate liability framework for foreign bribery, with no company ever sanctioned and weak enforcement due to legal, resource, and evidentiary challenges. Key recommendations of the report include clarifying liability for third-party bribery, ensuring corporate accountability independent of natural person prosecutions, strengthening sanctions, and improving enforcement of false accounting offences.

OECD acknowledges Croatia’s progress in implementing the Anti-Bribery Convention but urges improvements in the enforcement of foreign bribery law

December 19, 2024

Outstanding issues with compliance remain for Croatia in the sphere of enforcement, with no investigations or convictions for foreign bribery. The report cites for this, unclear laws on bribing foreign legislators, limited corporate liability, rare confiscation of bribes, and delays in criminal proceedings. Recommendations include strengthening corporate enforcement, clarifying legislation, increasing sanctions, and reducing delays. Positive steps include promoting whistleblowing and legislative reforms that facilitated Croatia’s Convention accession…

GRECO President on Anti-Corruption Day: “States must take determined action to protect democracy against corruption”

December 15, 2024

GRECO President Marin Mrčela emphasized the importance of combating corruption to strengthen democracy and rebuild trust between institutions and citizens. He called for robust anti-corruption laws, youth engagement, and transparency in governance. He also announced that GRECO’s upcoming 6th evaluation round will focus on preventing corruption and promoting integrity in local…

GRECO’s latest compliance report on Armenia shows progress in addressing anti-corruption recommendations from 2015.

December 11, 2024

Out of 18 recommendations, 12 have been fully implemented, and 6 are partly implemented. GRECO notes improvements in rules on gifts acceptance, public engagement in parliamentary work, and measures to prevent conflicts of interest for MPs.

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