President's office preparing bills on awarding up to 10% of bribe amounts to whistleblowers
The Office of the President of Ukraine is preparing bills regulating the procedure for reporting corruption offenses, as well as material rewards for whistleblowers, who will be rewarded up to 10% of the amount of compensated losses or the amount of undue gain (bribe).
The president's website says mechanisms for protecting and encouraging whistleblowers were discussed with representatives of public organizations and international partners of Ukraine in the fight against corruption on August 19 at the initiative of Deputy Presidential Office Head Ruslan Riaboshapka.
The bills that are being drafted regulate the methods and procedure for reporting corruption or corruption-related offenses, the procedures for considering such communications, the rights and guarantees of protection of whistleblowers, and other persons who contributed to the disclosure of information, including the whistleblower's right to receive information about the status of consideration of the information provided, the right to free legal assistance, confidentiality, as well as material compensation within 10% of the amount of losses reimbursed to the state or amount of bribe.
"Together with international experts and specialists from Ukrainian public organizations, we discussed changes to the legislation regarding the improvement of mechanisms for reporting corruption offenses, strengthening the protection of persons providing such information, as well as ways to motivate them to expose top corrupt officials," Riaboshapka was quoted as saying.
"Whistleblowers who report large-scale corruption schemes that cause significant damage to the state will be rewarded with material rewards. In addition, the state will guarantee whistleblowers of corruption against prosecution for disclosing information, restoring violated labor and other rights, confidentiality of corruption reports, and establishing liability in cases of persecution of whistleblowers," he said.
The relevant bills being prepared taking into account the election obligations of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will be introduced to parliament by the president for urgent consideration.
