Corruption

In the Special Department for Suppression of Corruption of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, 25 members of two related groups suspected of money laundering were questioned.
They are suspected of multiple tax frauds related to VAT refunds, which damaged the budget of the Republic of Serbia by more than 246 million dinars.

On the sidelines of the recent conference at Panteion University's Institute of International Relations, Emily Holland, assistant professor at the US Naval War College, spoke to Kathimerini and analyzed the energy dimension of the war in Ukraine and the role of the Eastern Mediterranean as an energy hub.

Venezuelan Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami resigned on March 20 after prosecutors opened a corruption investigation into officials at the state oil company PDVSA.

Anti-corruption police on March 19 arrested two people closely linked to El Aissami: Top PDVSA official Antonio Perez Suarez, and Joselit Ramirez, who manages oil industry funds through cryptocurrencies.

The US State Department's new 2022 annual human rights report says the Bulgarian government's efforts to address corruption and human rights abuses are "insufficient."

The report said steps had been taken to investigate officials accused of human rights abuses and corruption, but there was a problem of impunity.

In its fifth Evaluation Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina published on Thursday, the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption, GRECO, urged authorities in Bosnia to overcome political blockages that are preventing reforms from taking place. 

A tax inspector and five private individuals were arrested on Wednesday in connection to the illegal awarding of contracts to companies and purchases of equipment for tax offices in Thessaloniki.

The suspects have been indicted for bribery and corruption of an official, breach of duty, false certification, fraud and criminal organization. 

Recent reports regarding corruption in the Hellenic Police (ELAS) naturally raise concern among the public. 

It is not yet possible to separate fact from fiction and whether allegations are genuine or driven by clashes between rival groups inside the force. 

Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) regarding the public sector showed that with a score of 52/100 - which it shares with Cyprus - Greece is now ranked 51st out of 180 countries.

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

Slovenia has fallen in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which measures perceived levels of corruption in the public sector. It scored 56 out of 100 points last year, the lowest so far although it has kept 41st spot among 180 countries, level with Italy, Georgia and Czechia.

Bulgaria is once again at the bottom of the European Union in the 2022 Corruption Index of the international anti-corruption organization Transparency International.

Our country is placed in 72nd place with an index of 43 points. In the last place among the countries of the European Union is Hungary with an index of 42 points.