Source: „Dnevnik“
Insiders in Serbia without protection
The truth goes first in a transition period. A society wrapped in corruption simply cries out for individuals having the honesty and courage to “snitch”. Only not to snitch from evil and malice, but to expose destroyers of Serbia – corruption. But, few and welcome insiders in the Serbian society are left hanging out in the wind and to themselves after they have disposed corrupted boss, officials who have received bribes or provided someone to win a tender, or upon revealing that their factories where they work release hazardous chemicals into rivers, or about illegal taping….
Radoljub Saric, the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance, for the last several years, has been standing up for the protection of insiders, namely people who talked and revealed corruption in their surroundings, and who, upon revealing, have been exposed to various inconveniences, even discharges from work.
Unfortunately, although I was not the only one, these efforts weren’t successful. The role of insiders, i.e. people who come into contact with confidential official information by the nature of their jobs, is one of the most significant in the fight against corruption. A person who decides to openly talk about irregularities should be more seriously protected.
Recently we failed to ensure high-quality legal solutions regarding protection of insiders by adoption of amendments of the Ombudsman to Law on Free Access to Information. This should be changed in the first coming opportunity, because, among others, recently adopted Resolution of the European Council on the protection of insiders calls for that.
Unusual position of the government towards “insiders” can be explained in different ways: it can be the lack of political willingness, but also “insiders’ are not quite popular in Serbia. However, the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance in his long years work has not recognized, even in one case, a “snitcher” who has done it from evilness or malice, but extraordinary brave individuals who revealed irregularities causing damage to the state. It is not about snitchers, but people who often talk openly about corruption with the aim of protecting public interest i.e. stopping the criminal and corruption.
These good acts usually have serious consequences because these people are exposed to different nuisances, harassments, discharges from work – explains Radoljub Saric for our newspaper.
If people knew that they would be protected, they would be willing to talk about the irregularities occurring in their surroundings. On the other hand, it they witness that those who have helped to reveal an illegality then suffer and are left to themselves, many will step back and be quiet rather than go out in public and help to sanction corruption. The U.S. have among the first recognized the importance of insider and established the National Institute which deals with the mechanisms of protection. Thus, insiders are brave and honest and word “snitchers” should not be used for them in any case. People can be conscientious or unconscientious, and the one who knows that someone next to him doing something illegal or is stealing, and he can see, can act in accordance with its conscience. Member of the Anti-Corruption Council Stjepan Gredelj explained the rejection of the members of Serbian parliament to adopt the amendment and introduce the protection of insiders as another proof that Serbia is a non-democratic society: Was it rejected because it comes to our mentality, that we do not like snitchers, or because it is not in the interest of politicians is a difficult dilemma. It seems to me that these reasons are mixed, but that still prevails the second one i.e. there is no political will to protect individuals who can reveal scandals due to so much “dirtiness” and illegalities in their "yards" that they themselves would become “victims” of insiders. Therefore, it is primarily the fear that the government and those who do participate in it have against “breaking” what they are doing.
Gredelj points out that as long as the Serbian society does not accept what is in other countries proved to be an integral part of the fight against corruption, and insiders – blowers or whistlers are all given a special place, a true and real fight against this biggest evil and destroyer of the society does not and will not be. The government fights away for its own interests, sinecures, fabulous salaries which do not have much richer countries in the world. Here, one deputy and director has been paid more than the British prime minister, and where are we and where are they? Hypocrisy is that politicians from time to time call the citizens to join them in building the society, to be placed on the healthy legs, and at the same time refuse to adopt the amendment that would protect the same citizen – insider when reveals corruption. How people can build a fair society if they know ahead that they will suffer if they say that the thief – is a thief - asks Gredelj.
Short report: "Big mouth" cost worker his job
An employee-insider from the public enterprise “Roads of Serbia”, who first spoke about the theft of several million euro and based on whose statements “road mafia” has been revealed, lost his job and only three years later, after a media campaign initiated by the Commissioner for Information was back to work. At the same time, journalists who wanted to contribute to the revealing of criminal affairs by publishing parts of transcripts of taped conversations of persons involved in the affairs have been sued and prosecuted. At the end, they have been released from any charges by Prosecutor, Sabic says , but the fact remains that those who want to expose corruption and punish the culprits were actually prosecuted and subject to inconveniences just because Serbia is not ready or able to adopt special protection for insiders.
