Ochrana oznamovatelů nejen na papíře
In conjunction with the Association for Social Responsibility, the Anticorruption Endowment (NFPK) today hosted the first in a series of discussion forums on anticorruption topics. The first debate—The Whistleblower – a Hero or a Stoolie—dwelt on the issues connected with whistleblowing and protection of those who report instances of corrupt behaviour. We invited people from public administration, opposition parties, commercial and academic circles, as well as one with an alternative look at the issue of corruption. The NFPK presented the participants with its draft of a bill on the protection of whistleblowers.
Protection of whistleblowers has been an issue discussed by several successive governments in recent past. However, a quality solution has not been implemented to this day. One gains the impression that government figures treat this topic as a welcome marketing slogan, rather than perceiving it as a real problem that deserves a quality approach post haste.
The Anticorruption Endowment (NFPK) therefore decided to organize a chain of discussion forums, which would study the perception of corruption and the public’s general approach to the whistleblower. Invitations to the debate were accepted by PhDr. Michael Romancov from the Faculty of Social Sciences, who compared the approach to corruption in selected Czech regions, as well as State Administration people—JUDr Jiří Kapras of the Ministry of Justice and Mgr. Dalibor Fadrný from the Government Council on the Co-ordination of Struggle with Corruption, who briefed those present about the government bill on the protection of whistleblowers. Another panelist, PhDr. Radim Bureš, manager of Ernst&Young Forensic Services, discussed corruption in the private sector. Ing. Lukáš Černohorský briefed the audience about the positions of the Pirate Party and Urza, as well as alternative looks on the endeavour to fight corruption.
The Anticorruption Endowment presented its own draft legislation on the protection of whistleblowers. It is a working version that the NFPK offers to the representatives of the ministries responsible for such issues, parties sitting in parliament, and experts from both the academic and nonprofit spheres.
“Our Endowment has focused from its outset on the whistleblower and the protection he absolutely deserves. We also had a chance to read several draft legislations which, however, did not meet our expectations. Therefore we decided to present our own proposal, which comprises all our experience with the problem to date. I believe that this time we can produce a text which would become a part of the Czech legislative order,” said NFPK Director Karel Škácha.
The Anticorruption Endowment is a fully independent project, pursued by people radically unprepared to tolerate rampant corruption in the administration of this state. One of our goals is to help expose corruption in state administration and support projects exposing corrupt conduct.
Contacts: Karel Škácha, Director of NFPK, tel.: 602 681 513, e-mail: karel.skacha@nfpk.cz
