Minister Kuburović: Good results achieved in the fight against corrupction

Justice Minister Nela Kuburović met with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Jorgan K. Andrews, and discussed the results Serbia had achieved to date in the fight against corruption as well as future steps in this field.

Minister Kuburović said that the results achieved had been significant as was evident by the fact that more than 600 people had been convicted of crimes of corruption in the one year since the enforcement of the Organisation and Competencies of Government Authorities in Fighting Organised Crime, Terrorism and Corruption Act. She noted that state officials were among the convicted offenders; these were the so-called high-level corruption cases. 

As the most significant novelties introduced by the Act, Ms Kuburović emphasised the possibility of establishing the so-called task force as well as of an obligatory designation of liaison officers in the government authorities possessing important information which could help solve corruption cases. She explained that with the support of the U.S. Government and the European Union Project Prevention and Fight Against Corruption, a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Republic Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Interior and other government authorities with liaison officers, for the improvement of the task force activities, was being prepared.

Ms Kuburović added that in 2020 a new National Anti-Corruption Strategy for the improvement of the anti-corruption mechanisms would be prepared. 

Mr Andrews highlighted that Serbia was on a good path to fighting against corruption, that visible progress had been made and that he was proud of the fact that the U.S. Government had had the opportunity to provide support to Serbia in this regard. He added that Serbia should use the experiences of other countries in the fight against corruption, and that the U.S. was interested in the continuation of cooperation in this area.

Ms Kuburović concluded the meeting with the acknowledgement of the good cooperation between the Ministry of Justice and the U.S. Government through the USAID projects of support to courts, prosecutors’ offices and the development of judicial professions, which has contributed to the improvement of judicial work in Serbia.