Anyone Can Report Corruption — How to Properly Submit an Anonymous Appeal
Not every violation bears signs of corruption. A corruption offence occurs when a person uses the official powers granted to them, or related opportunities, to obtain an unlawful benefit for themselves or another person. Anyone can report a possible violation.
As explained by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the law also provides for the possibility of submitting an anonymous complaint. At the same time, such a report must contain specific information that can be verified.
The complaint must specify:
- the substance of the possible violation and the circumstances of the incident;
- the person who may have committed the violation, including their name, position, and the name of the body, institution, or company;
- the place and time of the incident;
- the circumstances under which the applicant became aware of the relevant information;
- available documents, correspondence, photos, videos, or other evidence confirming the stated facts;
- persons who can confirm the specified circumstances.
The detection and investigation of corruption offences in Ukraine are carried out by specially authorised bodies, including the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, the National Police, the prosecutor’s office, and the State Bureau of Investigation.
Before submitting a report, it is necessary to ensure that it answers the key questions: who committed, or may have committed, the violation, what happened, where, when, and under what circumstances.
As previously reported by Sudovo-Yurydychna Hazeta, Ukraine may change the rules for storing information in the Register of Corrupt Officials, limiting the retention period to one year. The relevant draft law was supported by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech. The decision was made at a regular committee meeting, during which MPs considered four current legislative initiatives.
The purpose of the draft law is to establish the retention period in the Unified State Register of Persons Who Have Committed Corruption or Corruption-Related Offences for information on bringing a person to disciplinary liability for such offences. The initiative was developed taking into account international standards and recommendations in the field of combating corruption, as well as the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.
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