Serbia takes tentative steps towards fighting corruption

17/10/2005

A number of recent scandals have highlighted the importance of tackling the problem of corruption in Serbia-Montenegro. A Supreme Court judge who freed gangsters for money, senior military officers who inflated prices of military equipment, and doctors who sold disability pensions for profit represent only a few examples of pervasive graft, fraud and misuse of position -- a characteristic problem of a society in transition. Announcing a "decisive battle against corruption", authorities appear to be trying to change the general impression that they lack the political will to tackle the problem. So far, reports SETimes correspondent Georgi Mitev-Shantek, the rhetoric has been more impressive than the results.

By Georgi Mitev-Shantek for Southeast European Times – 17/10/05

The Council of Europe's 2005 report on corruption in the Western Balkans criticises Serbia-Montenegro, along with Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, for not spending enough money or showing sufficient political will in tackling corruption. It appears that the Serbian government is trying to refute those conclusions, although experts and citizens alike remain skeptical.

Certainly there is no shortage of corruption to battle against. A Supreme Court accused of taking bribes in exchange for leniency towards gang members, senior military officers under investigation for inflating prices of military equipment, and doctors who allegedly sold disability pensions for profit are only a few examples of pervasive graft, fraud and misuse of position -- a characteristic problem of a society in transition.

So far, a number of well-publicised steps have been taken. Justice Minister Zoran Stojkovic has vowed to go after crooked judges. Inspectorates are checking all military and police procurement contracts over the past few years. The number of doctors being arrested has been rising each week. Nevertheless, the political rhetoric continues to outpace concrete action. Newspaper headlines tell of million-euro losses and outrageous bribes, but the cases not infrequently evaporate as the investigations proceed.

"All the noted cases are different and for this reason I would not claim that there is any dramatic change in political will and atmosphere in the battle against corruption ... Without a real state strategy everything will remain at the level of sporadic cases," says Nemanja Nenadic, executive director of Transparency Serbia.

Serbian Justice Minister Zoran Stojkovic has vowed to go after crooked judges. [File]

The Serbian government has a special body, the Anti-Corruption Council, which is tasked with spearheading efforts to bring the problem under control. But according to the council's president, Verica Barac, the authorities mostly regard the council as a nuisance, ignoring its recommendations and turning a blind eye to the cases it publicly flags.

"In no single case have the arguments that we put forth been refuted. Where the government did respond, it was only to discredit members of the Council," Barac says.

Of recent cases, the military procurement scandal has garnered the most public attention. The Serbian Directorate for Combating Organised Crime and the Military Security Agency have sought to press criminal charges for misconduct during contract negotiations against the supplier of military equipment and three military officers, one of whom is a major general. Yet despite claims that millions of euros were robbed from state coffers, investigations have so far only led to a single charge of facilitating the lease for a single automobile, and not even an upper economy class one at that. The main fallout from the scandal has been the resignation of Defence Minister Prvoslav Davinic, who defended himself by calling it "political".

The arrest of the Supreme Court judge excited considerably less buzz. Ljubomir Vuckovic stands accused of taking half a million euros in return for granting clemency in an appeal filed by members of a gang in a Central Serbian town. Perhaps one reason for the public's lack of interest is that Serbs already have reason to suspect how the case will be resolved. Two years ago, after all, district court judge Zivota Djoincevic was arrested on similar charges, only to given a token sentence -- equivalent to the time spent in remand.

Serbia Anti-Corruption Council President Verica Barac (right) says authorities mostly regard the council as a nuisance, ignoring its recommendations and turning a blind eye to the cases it publicly flags. [serbia.sr.gov.yu]

Justice-minded Serbs can, however, take consolation in the fact that corrupt doctors are being jailed. Around twenty or so medical practitioners were involved in a scheme under which perfectly healthy citizens received disability pensions -- in return for a fee ranging from 1,000-3,000 euros. The doctors drew up fake medical records and filed the pension claims, taking advantage of a loophole in Serbian law that allows medical committees to approve such requests without actually examining the supposed patient. As a reward for their efforts, the doctors face sentences of five to 15 years – the amount imposed on the culprits in a similar ring discovered in 2002. Although disability pensions in Serbia are far from princely, the fraudulent claims have defrauded the state of substantial amounts.

On paper, at least, Serbia has made progress, having adopted a number of key anti-corruption regulations governing public procurement, campaign financing, prevention of conflict of interest, and free access to information of public interest. Implementation, however, is another matter. Analysts note that legal loopholes remain, especially with regard to investigation, criminal prosecution and punishment for corruption crimes.

Considerable resistance remains at all levels to bringing about real change. A group of domestic and foreign experts have drafted a strategy for combating organised crime and corruption, but it is presently stuck in a lengthy parliamentary procedure. While trumpeting its commitment to fighting corruption, the government has invested only symbolic amounts in the effort. Only half of a $15.8m credit approved by the World Bank in 2002 for combating crime and trafficking in the Serbian customs system has been used thus far.

In the near future, at least, the battle for transparency seems destined to progress sporadically at best. Citizens will have to draw as much encouragement as they can -- reasoning, perhaps, that progress in fits and starts is better than nothing.