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Fight against corruption recommendations to be fulfilled
Belgrade,
22 April 2008
Serbian Minister of Justice Dusan Petrovic said today that in May all state institutions will be given duties relating to implementation of the National anti-corruption strategy and the recommendations of the Group of States against corruption (GRECO).
Dusan Petrovic at today's press conference
Speaking at a press conference held after the meeting of the Committee for implementation of the strategy, headed by him, Petrovic said that in June 2006, GRECO gave Serbia 25 recommendations in order to help fight corruption more efficiently. In October this year, GRECO will examine a report by the Ministry of Justice on the results achieved in implementing those recommendations.
He said that Serbia will send out a bad signal if it does not fulfil at least 13 of the recommendations. He explained that if Serbia fulfils half of the recommendations, it will get a deadline extension of one year or a year and a half to fulfil the remaining recommendations.
The Committee for implementation of the National anti-corruption strategy and the GRECO recommendations also examined today the process of European integration and the fight against corruption, as well as laws of the Agency for the fight against corruption and confiscation of property obtained through criminal acts.
The minister said that all those convicted on the basis of that law will be prohibited from performing a public function in the next ten years. He voiced hope that the law on the Anti-Corruption Agency will be adopted two months after the new Serbian parliament is convened.
Petrovic said that the new Law on confiscation of property obtained through criminal acts will make it impossible for perpetrators of serious criminal acts to finance their defence with property acquired illegally.
The property of those suspected of taking part in organised crime, corruption and war crimes is to be frozen, according to the new law, and the illegally acquired property is to be confiscated after the verdict is passed.
The Minister said that there are 9,500 convicts and detainees in Serbian prisons right now, and recalled that in 2003 that number was 6,500.
He said that the number of prisoners is increasing every month since the penal policy has been made stricter, especially in the past nine months.
He said that Serbia will send out a bad signal if it does not fulfil at least 13 of the recommendations. He explained that if Serbia fulfils half of the recommendations, it will get a deadline extension of one year or a year and a half to fulfil the remaining recommendations.
The Committee for implementation of the National anti-corruption strategy and the GRECO recommendations also examined today the process of European integration and the fight against corruption, as well as laws of the Agency for the fight against corruption and confiscation of property obtained through criminal acts.
The minister said that all those convicted on the basis of that law will be prohibited from performing a public function in the next ten years. He voiced hope that the law on the Anti-Corruption Agency will be adopted two months after the new Serbian parliament is convened.
Petrovic said that the new Law on confiscation of property obtained through criminal acts will make it impossible for perpetrators of serious criminal acts to finance their defence with property acquired illegally.
The property of those suspected of taking part in organised crime, corruption and war crimes is to be frozen, according to the new law, and the illegally acquired property is to be confiscated after the verdict is passed.
The Minister said that there are 9,500 convicts and detainees in Serbian prisons right now, and recalled that in 2003 that number was 6,500.
He said that the number of prisoners is increasing every month since the penal policy has been made stricter, especially in the past nine months.
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