New anti-graft initiative hailed

Gov’t planning special branches where citizens can file corruption reports

After last week’s presentation showcasing the work of its anti-corruption body over the last 15 months, the government is reportedly planning to set up offices where citizens can file anonymous corruption complaints.

According to sources, the new measure will be included in a bill that will be tabled in Parliament after summer and that will include significant amendments to existing anti-corruption legislation.

Citizens will be able to anonymously file reports on financial crimes in both the public (including cases involving European Union subsidy programs) and private sectors as long they can be substantiated.

Government sources say it be will modeled on a successful service in the UK that has been in operation for several years.

The General Secretariat Against Corruption, set up by the leftist-led coalition as part of its much-touted campaign to tackle graft, has already collected more than one billion euros just from unpaid taxes and fines, according to the chief financial crimes prosecutor Panayiotis Athanasiou, who monitors tax eva- sion and money laundering cases.

Supreme Court Prosecutor Xeni Dimitriou said last week that properties confiscated by the state over the last 15 months are valued at 400 million euros and added that anti-corruption prosecutors have deposited another 40 million euros from convicted individuals or parties in a special account of the Bank of Greece.