Establishing the Anti-corruption Agency is one of the most important institutional steps towards improving the rule of law, said the Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro, Mitja Drobnic. At the constitutive meeting of the Agency Council, he stressed several important aspects of ting up of such an agency, the news agency Mina carried. “First, […]

A former EU rule-of-law mission in Kosovo prosecutor who made claims of corruption said she has been threatened with criminal prosecution if she speaks publicly about her case against her ex-employers. Maria Bamieh. Photo: Majlinda Hoxha. Former prosecutor Maria Bamieh, who has taken the EULEX rule-of-law mission to a British employment tribunal for alleged unfair […]

From the initially announced price tag of €80 million, the cost of giving the Macedonian capital a new/old look has risen to €560 million, a BIRN investigation shows.   The cost of Skopje’s new look has increased sevenfold from the originally planned sum while the number of monuments and buildings has tripled | Photo by: […]

Balkan countries vying to join the EU have passed, or are in the middle of passing, better whistleblower protection laws than most EU member states have. Ironically, the EU is co-financing this new anti-corruption zeal. It’s impossible to fight corporate corruption if you don’t know it is happening. But whistleblowers never get an easy ride, […]

The Kosovo parliament passed a resolution asking for an investigation into alleged corruption inside the EU’s rule-of-law mission in Kosovo, EULEX.   The Kosovo Parliament. Photo: Una Hajdari MPs voted for the resolution on Thursday calling for EULEX’s work to be reviewed and alleged abuses within the mission investigated. “The Kosovo parliament invites the president […]

The enormous growth opportunities in emerging markets for large North American- and European-based companies come with significant risks – running afoul of international anti-bribery and fraud regulations chief among them. An overwhelming majority of firms (83 percent) have suffered major loss-making incidents in emerging markets over the last five years, according to a new FTI […]

BUCHAREST, Romania — Police in Romania have detained a former interior minister on charges of illegally receiving 185,000 euros ($203,000) from a businessman.   Gabriel Berca was detained on Thursday in the eastern city of Bacau and anti-corruption prosecutors have called for him to remain in custody. There was no immediate comment from him. In […]

Three pro-Europe Moldovan parties announced on Wednesday they had agreed to form a new ruling coalition to produce a government to pilot the country towards integration with the European Union and unlock fresh foreign funding. The small ex-Soviet state, sandwiched between Ukraine and EU member Romania, has been in turmoil after a banking scandal involving […]

Former FBiH Minister of Trade Milorad Bahilj drove around in an official car bought from the car company of his party boss’s nephew.   The luxury Mercedes SUV was passed on to current Trade Minister Aleksandar Remetić, but he said he did not feel comfortable in such an expensive vehicle. (Photo: CIN) Milorad Bahilj wanted […]

Eight foreigners have been arrested by officers of Moldova’s National Anti-Corruption Center on suspicion of money laundering, while a ninth suspect remains under police observation while hospitalized for an undisclosed ailment.   Gheorghe Gorun   Three have been detained, while the others have been told not to leave the country. The group includes three French […]