Description
The project addresses the shortcomings in the work of the Prosecutor’s Office resulting in inefficient and chaotic investigation of corruption crimes. The project aims at boosting the prosecutor’s office’s capacity to process efficiently alerts, claims and proceedings related to corruption, thus combating corruption and increasing public trust in the judiciary. First, an advisory committee will be set up jointly with the Prosecutor’s Office to carry out civil monitoring. Second, 12 regional assistants will be selected and trained to carry out civil monitoring based on methodology developed in advance. Third, civil monitoring will be carried out followed by an analysis and recommendations. Next, printed materials will be prepared to raise public awareness. Finally, a round table on combating corruption will be held involving all stakeholders. The project will benefit the Prosecutor’s Office’s staff as well as the public. The partner will support the project with its expertise.
Summary of project results
The reports of the European Commission were very critical and the analysis carried out in 2014 by the Prosecutor’s office of corruption cases in the period 01.01.2007-15.02.2013 showed a number of deficiencies and flaws in the system. In addition, unofficial data of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Bulgaria showed that hardly 50% of the cases concerning corruption offences were closed while the reasons for the delayed examination of the open cases remained unclear. For that reason the project was focused on the capacity of the Prosecutor’s Office to process effectively and efficiently claims and cases concerning corruption offences. The project impact runs along several lines. First, the representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office became aware of the fact that it is necessary to involve the NGO sector to achieve the desired changes. The project helped shatter the stereotype that the Prosecutor’s Office faced “everything on its own”. The project was also beneficial for the public as a party involved. The systematization and classification into different types of the materials and forms to support citizens facilitates citizens to file alerts and claims that can be examined by the prosecutors. The project helped implement the first fully external monitoring of cases concerning corruption examined by the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Bulgaria. The Programme for the Development of the Judicial System (PDJS) analyzed the data and deficiencies in the system; the latter were discussed with the representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office and the results were presented to the public. The following products were prepared under the project: 1. Analysis of the findings from the monitoring of the efficiency of the Prosecutor’s Office to examine corruption offences; 2. Counteracting Corruption – A guide for the Citizens, issued in Bulgarian and English; 3. How to alert the Prosecutor’s Office about corruption – a leaflet for the citizens; 4. Forms of documents used in criminal proceedings. For more information, please, visit:
http://prss-bg.org/prss2/%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BE
Summary of bilateral results