Agency for Prevention of Corruption

Press Release: Five procedures ex officio closed

June 30, 2017

The Agency for the Prevention of Corruption has completed five procedures and adopted Opinions in which it found that there is a threat to the public interest, and issued a total of 21 recommendations to the authorities subject to the proceedings to improve transparency and eliminate corruption risks in recruitment procedures.

The Agency recalls that it initiated 10 proceedings ex officio in May, due to the suspicion of the existence of a threat to public interest in connection with the advertising of vacancies during the weekend, as well as during a public holiday, published on 20 May 2017.

The completed procedures refer to: Center for Ecotoxicological Testing Podgorica, PI Cultural Center Tivat, PHI Health Center Cetinje, Parking Service Budva, PE Vodovod i kanalizacija Tivat.

In these cases, the Agency found that only one candidate applied in each of the four institutions where the advertisements were published for one day during the weekend, who were afterwards selected and employed. In the case of PE Vodovod i kanalizacija Tivat no candidates applied, and after the initiation of the procedure by the Agency, the institution issued a new advertisement for a period of eight days.

In all five Opinions, the Agency found that the advertising of vacant positions for one day and in days of weekends and public holidays, within the meaning of Articles 44 and 72 of the Law on the Prevention of Corruption, constitutes a threat to the public interest and could affect the integrity, equity and transparency of the recruitment procedure.

Furthermore, the actions of aforementioned institutions are contrary to the principle of integrity prescribed by Article 72 of the Law on the Prevention of Corruption, bearing in mind that integrity is a legitimate, independent, impartial, accountable and transparent conduct of duties by which public officials and other employees in the authority protect their reputation and the reputation of the authority, while ensuring the confidence of citizens in the exercise of public functions and the work of the authorities, and removing suspicion of the possibility of the occurrence and development of corruption.

The Agency appeals to all public sector institutions to immediately suspend the practice of advertising vacant jobs for one day and on weekends and public holidays and to provide sufficient number of days for candidates to apply to the ad and collect the necessary documentation in terms of the applicable general and special conditions for the establishment of the employment, so that advertising does not normally take shorter than eight days.

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