Main goal of the Anti-Corruption Network (ACN) for Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is to support its member states in the fight against corruption. It provides regional forum to promote anti-corruption activities, exchanging the information, developing the best practice and coordination with donor organization by organizing meetings and seminars.
As a result of the survey “Prevention of the corruption in the public sector in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia” conducted by the organization, it revealed that the State Audit Office is the best practice state body in the region in the corruption prevention issue. The publication was prepared in 2013-2015, on the basis of the questionaries filled by the governments, NGOs and international partners of the OECD members states. The survey is focused on the successful and efficient measures of the fight against corruption in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia as well as on the best practice examples within the organization’s member states.
It is pointed out in the OECD survey that one of the most important issue in the measures taken by the State Audit Office in the fight against corruption is providing information on suspected offences to law-enforcement agencies. Cooperation of the State Audit Office with the law-enforcement bodies is recognized by the OECD as the model one in the Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries. “State Audit Office contributes to uncovering corruption. In Georgia, the State Audit Office (SAO) cooperates with the State Prosecutor’s Office and other law-enforcement bodies by sending referral of cases identified through SAO budget monitoring and audit activities including involving misappropriation of public assets, irregularities in procurement, bribery and corruption schemes; and SAO auditors are involved as forensic auditors in complex financial crime cases. Factual findings and results of the criminal investigation of the above cases, including relevant amounts of misappropriated budgetary funds reimbursed to the state budget are regularly made public and reported to the parliament in SAO annual reports,” is said in the report.
The report also includes the statistic data of the summary of the SAO’s audit activities results in 2011-2013, in particular:
- Up to 30 audit reports along with evidence on alleged corruption acts, resulting in criminal indictment of 75 public/private officials were delivered to the law-enforcement bodies;
- Upon request from the law-enforcement bodies, SAO auditors performed forensic investigations of 84 public entities/entities entitled to manage public assets.
- As a result of joint investigation and coordinated audit efforts, approximately 13, 8 million Georgian Lari were returned to the State budget.
The State Audit Office of Georgia has an important role in addressing cross-cutting, systemic corruption risks in public financial management administration.
As a result of the measures taken by the State Audit Office against corruption, Georgia is mentioned in the publication along with such countries as United States of America, Austria, Great Britain and other.
Quality Assurance Department, on behalf of the State Audit Office actively cooperates with OECD-ACN, regularly takes part in the OECD-ACN plenary and governing board’s meetings.
Progress of the implementation of the reforms and recommendations made by the State Audit Office of Georgia in the prevention of the corruption were assessed positively at the meetings held this year.
For more information please visit web-site: www.oecd.org
Please visit: www.oecd.org/investment/anti-bribery/ACN-Prevention-Corruption-Report.pdf to see the publication.
