FAR FROM ITS SOUTHERN NEIGHBOURS
Slovenia:Igor Mekina (AIM Ljubljana)
According to the evaluations of many non-governmental organisations, Slovenia has the reputation of a quite 'pure' state when corruption is concerned. Despite that, the problem of corruption is often mentioned in public nowadays. Most of the 'merit' for the sudden rise of popularity and media promotion of this issue goes to Dr. Boris Sustar, former state under-secretary in the Ministry of the Economy. Accused of bribery, he was convicted at summary court proceedings and sentenced to three years in prison. The high state official and moreover one of the former trump cards of Drnovsek's Liberal Democratic Party (LDS) was pronounced guilty because he arranged financial state aid for an entrepreneur on condition that he pay 200 thousand German marks of bribe. What happened was that state under-secretary granted 260 thousand marks of aid to the owner of 'Selda pack' company, and then demanded no less than 210 thousand of 'commission'. This seemed too much to the entrepreneur so he reported this case to the authorities. By application of 'special police methods', the high state official was caught red-handed at the moment when he was receiving 70 thousand of bribe. This is the biggest revealed case of corruption in Slovenia.
The other, even bigger example of corrupt behavior of high state officials was also revealed and made public only recently, when the police arrested deputy mayor of Kopar, Zdenko Kodric. This municipal official controlled the land and municipal estates in the manner that was profitable to the companies he co-owned. This time, too, the arrested person is a member of the ruling LDS.
Last year, on the scale of Transparency International organisation, Slovenia ranked 28 out of 90 states in which this form of crime flourishes, which is in fact praise. It ranked even better in its immediate environment - in comparison with the states of Eastern and Central Europe, Slovenia ranked second. On this basis one could conclude that despite transition and political heritage, Slovenia does not belong among the states where corruption has taken hold.
Nevertheless, the situation has somewhat deteriorated this year. Slovenia 'slipped' down to the 34th position on Transparency International's scale with the corruption index of 5.4. This means that within 'its' group of states it ranks 3rd at this moment. Hungary (that ranks 31st) and Estonia (28th) precede it. Among the other states in the region, many rank lower than Slovenia, including Greece (41st position), Poland (45th), Bulgaria (47th), Croatia (48th), Czech Republic (49th), Slovakia (53rd), Turkey (56th), Latvia (60th) and Russia (81st). The first three positions in the world (with the least corruption) are still firmly held by Finland, Denmark and New Zealand, and immediately after them rank the highly developed states of Europe, the USA and the countries of the Far East.
Slovenia actively joined the group of states in the Council of Europe called Greco that are fighting against corruption, and for a few years already it has the Office for Prevention of Money Laundry. A special group of prosecutors is engaged in fighting corruption along with a special police unit (if two policemen in the "anti-corruption department" can be called that). Regardless of that, it is interesting that immediately after the invested efforts of the state in the struggle against corruption a paradox was observed - the number of revealed cases from 56 in 1999 dropped to 42 last year. The reason for that, experts believe, is not an epidemic of honesty, but poor work of the police in the capital, because since last year the police in Ljubljana discovered only two examples of corruption.
Slovenian Office for Prevention of Money Laundry has lately had an additional problem - corruption practiced by the citizens of Slovenia abroad, primarily in Russia and other states in transition. Until 1999, before the criminal law was amended, bribing of foreign officials by Slovenian enterprises and individuals was not a crime. To bribe a foreigner was according to the general public opinion even 'useful for the state', so it was not persecuted as a crime. This is not the case only in Slovenia. In Austria and Germany, the bribe given to a Slovenian director or official in negotiations on a business deal could be booked as tax relief! This was revealed by the Council of Europe which announced that it wished to put an end to such 'double morality' once and for all.
Last year Slovenia was the first among the states that were evaluated by the Greco group for the struggle against corruption. There are 28 states in that group joined by the USA this year. Slovenia got high marks, but was also criticised. 'Eradication of corruption is not an important task for the government. The result is insufficient awareness of the officials and institutions of the need to detect the practice of corruption...', it is stated in Greco's report. This statement is not founded only when the police is concerned, it could be broadened to include the state prosecutor's office, and even courts. Many examples of crime at high instances (arms smuggling and similar) have never been taken to court.
The novelty in the work of the police which enables efficient struggle against corruption, is the use of special means, for example - of tapping. Greco warns that it would be good to permit tapping even for a period that exceeds six months, but judges in Slovenia (as defenders of the Constitution) are not very happy with this idea. Perhaps that is the reason why the government is increasingly considering the possibility to establish a new office for the struggle against corruption. This time - a more efficient one.