Semi-annual report of the TI BiH Legal Aid Center: Citizens are increasingly victims of corruption, most reports on the work of state administration

Banja Luka, 15. July 2021 – In the first six months of this year, the Center for Free Legal Aid in the Fight against Corruption Transparency International in BiH (TI BiH) acted in 135 cases on citizens’ complaints, while in the same period 769 citizens applied to TI BiH through a free corruption reporting line 0800 55555.

As in previous years, most cases concerned the public administration sector (66 reports) and the judiciary (18), while this year the health sector is an area with an increase in the number of applications compared to last year, which can be explained by the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. and the pressure it has put on the health sector.

What is worrying is the number of reports of victims of corruption, which is almost 50% of all reports, while compared to last year there is an increase in the number of reports of whistleblowers or people who report corruption from their immediate work environment.

In this period, the Center for Free Legal Aid initiated 5 administrative disputes against public bodies due to denial of the right to access information of public importance, while in this period 5 judgments of competent courts were passed in favor of TI BiH, in disputes against: Republic Administration for Geodetic and property and legal affairs of the RS, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the RS, the City of Banja Luka, Gas-Res doo Banja Luka and the Public Institution Elementary School “Aleksa Santic” Banja Luka. There are also two recommendations of the Institutions of the Human Rights Ombudsman of BiH, which were issued on the petitions of the Center, and which relate to human rights violations.

TI BiH has launched many initiatives to improve the legal framework in various areas, the most important of which are proposals to improve the legal protection of persons reporting corruption to the RS Ministry of Justice, as well as proposals for the Draft Law on Freedom of Access to Information to the BiH Ministry of Justice.

The RS Ministry of Education and Culture, the Republic Pedagogical Institute and MPs in the RS National Assembly received proposals for changes to the law in the field of school management in Republika Srpska, with the aim of eliminating corruption risks, thus starting the “Politicians Get Out of Class” campaign. The initiative has aroused great interest in the public, since it aims to depoliticize schools, reducing the importance of the Ministry, ie the Government, when appointing the director of school institutions.

TI BiH filed a complaint with the inspection bodies in Tuzla Canton against the director of the American University (AU), who was subsequently arrested for trying to collect additional costs from students. In a similar way, after the involvement of TI BiH in the case, a verdict was pronounced against the former dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Zenica, who was found guilty of negligent work in the service for refusing to announce a competition for an assistant professor.

Ti BiH also participated in the case of detecting illegal activities in the Public Institution Institute for Emergency Medical Aid of Sarajevo Canton. Director Adem Zalihić and the Managing Board of the Institute increased the salaries of certain employees of the Institute by illegal decisions, and the TI BiH also informed the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office of KS.

Corruption whistleblowers who address TI BiH most often point to rigged competitions in public institutions, non-transparent practices in the allocation of public funds, inefficient work of inspection bodies, as well as lengthy court proceedings. It is becoming more and more common for public competitions in institutions to be annulled only in order to hire a predetermined candidate.

TI BiH Center for Legal Aid in the Fight against Corruption provides advisory legal assistance to whistleblowers, and initial contact with citizens is made through the toll-free number 0800 55555. TI BiH especially invites whistleblowers, or persons who report corruption from their immediate work environment, to turn in case they need legal support.

Press rls-15.07.2021