Further reading Inna Cábelková, Entry Restrictions, Corruption and Extortion in the Context of Transition (Prague: CERGE-EI, 2001) Chmelík, J. (ed), Pozornost, úplatek a Korupce (Favour, Bribe and Corruption) (Prague: Linde, 2003) TI Czech Republic: www.transparency.cz Notes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
CTK Press Agency (Czech Republic), 16 February 2004. See www.transparency.cz/index.php?id=727 Radio Praha online, 30 June 2003, see www.radio.cz/en/news/42476#1 Bez Korupce online, 15 January 2003, see www.bezkorupce.cz/vypis_zpravy.php?id=71 CTK Press Agency (Czech Republic), 24 November 2003. See www.transparency.cz/index.php?id=1971 See www.transparency.cz/index.php?id=2346 BBC Czech Online, 14 May 2004, see www.bbc.co.uk/czech/domesticnews/story/2004/05/040514_ football_1830.shtml
Georgia Corruption Perceptions Index 2004 score: 2.0 (133rd out of 146 countries) Conventions: Council of Europe Civil Law Convention on Corruption (ratified May 2003) Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (signed January 1999; not yet ratified) UN Convention against Corruption (not yet signed) UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (signed December 2000; not yet ratified) Legal and institutional changes • In January 2004, two days after being sworn in, President Mikheil Saakashvili sent a package of bills to parliament that aimed to amend 12 laws, including provisions making it easier to arrest those suspected of bribery and to facilitate the confiscation of illegal assets (see below). The bills were subsequently approved by parliament. In an effort to reduce parliament’s potential as a safe haven for criminals, a constitutional amendment was passed in February 2004 limiting immunity for members. • Changes to a law on corruption and conflicts of interests within public services in early 2004 made the prosecution of criminal cases possible regardless of whether the defendant is present or not. The amendment plugs a loophole in the legislation that was widely abused by absconding defendants, or ones who claimed ill health, to evade prosecution. The law applies to public officials and the heads of state-run enterprises (see below). • The judiciary added another tool in the fight against corruption by approving the inclusion of plea-bargaining in the criminal code in February 2004. A judge is to oversee the
Country reports GEORGIA
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