Conclusion of the priority list vetting paves the way to the establishment of the Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure and National Bureau of Investigation. The vetting process of the priority list for judges and prosecutors running for the High Judicial Council and the High Prosecutorial Council has come to an end. Based on the three criteria of asset declarations, integrity, and professionalism, the Independent Qualification Commission has forwarded the successful candidates for a position in the corresponding governing bodies. The General Prosecutor and the Head of the High Court have called for the creation of the High Prosecutorial Council and the High Judicial Council in December 2018. These two judicial governing bodies will decide on the creation of the new Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure (SPAK), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO), and, finally, the Special Court (SC) assigned to handling cases of corruption at the highest level and organised crime. The Law on “The organisation and functioning of institutions for combating corruption” which provides for the establishment of these institutions was adopted in 2016.

Government of Armenia adopts the Fourth Action Plan of Open Government Partnership Initiative. The Action Plan for 2018-2020 was approved on 23 November 2018. The Plan includes actions in such areas as open and public beneficial ownership register, improving electronic system of declarations of assets, income and affiliated persons of high-ranking officials through “open data” declarations, and strengthening publicity, transparency and participation at the local level.

Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Methodology presented in Azerbaijan. On 2 November 2018, the risk assessment methodology for banking sector and sector-specific guidelines for the application of risk-based procedures were presented to the representatives of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority, Financial Monitoring Service, as well as compliance officers of 30 commercial banks within the framework of the CoE/EU PGG project on “Strengthening the Anti-Money Laundering in Azerbaijan". The aim was to support Azerbaijan’s compliance with international recommendations with reference to assessing AML/CFT risks and taking actions for effective mitigation.

Extractive Industries Transparency Commission of Azerbaijan presents EIT Report 2017. On 26 November 2018, the Extractive Industries Transparency (EIT) Commission presented the final version of the EIT Report 2017 to the representatives of civil society, international organizations, local and foreign extractive companies operating in Azerbaijan. Furthermore, the participants also discussed the execution of the project on Beneficial Ownership disclosure.

Azerbaijani delegation joins discussions on recent anti-corruption trends in OSCE area. On 12-13 November, the Azerbaijani delegation headed by Deputy Prosecutor General, Kamran Aliyev, attended the international conference titled “Developing Anti-Corruption strategies for the digital age - Recent trends and best practices in the OSCE area”. Mr Kamran Aliyev widely spoke about Azerbaijan’s anti-corruption efforts on legislation improvement, favourable business environment, ASAN activities, and Azerbaijan’s rating upgrade in the “Doing Business 2019” report.

Belarus hosts Eurasia Group (EAG) 29th Plenary week. 250 participants from the EAG member states, plus observer states and international organizations, attended the EAG Plenary session. The event helped prepare Belarus for the international assessment of the national anti-money laundering system for the compliance with international standards in 2018–2019. The main stage of the assessment is scheduled for March 2019, when EAG experts are expected to visit Belarus. The previous assessment of the national anti-money laundering system of Belarus took place in 2008.

Commission lauds Bulgaria. On 13 November, the European Commission published a report on Bulgaria and Romania under the so-called Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), commending Bulgaria for progress made. CVM was set up as a condition of the countries’ EU accession. The Commission notes Bulgaria’s continued efforts and determination to implement the recommendations. Speaking to the press, Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans said three out of the six benchmarks set up for Bulgaria could be considered as provisionally closed.

In recent weeks, Bulgarian prosecution has been unusually active in indicting prominent businessmen and politicians, however, so far the investigations did not produce court sentences. An Anti-Corruption Commission was set up in Bulgaria last March, with the biggest “catch” of being the mayor of a Sofia district. The Anti-corruption Commission is also investigating concerns a scam run by state officials has enabled thousands of foreigners to obtain Bulgarian passports for cash.

The Georgian government has approved the 4th Open Government Georgia Action Plan, for high level governance in the country. The action plan which has been drafted through the involvement of local and international organisations and includes 23 obligations for 21 state bodies.

European Parliament Adopts Resolution on EU-Georgia Association Agreement. In the resolution the European Parliament “warmly welcomes the sustained reform track and progress made in implementing the AA and the DCFTA, which has positioned Georgia as a key partner of the EU in the region.”

Parliament of Georgia plans to introduce regulations in the gambling business. According to reliable sources, the new bill will ban both outdoor and TV advertisements of gambling game. Moreover, Georgian citizens will not be able to make payments by Georgian payment cards for foreign online gambling games.

Jordanian Audit Bureau publishes 2017 report. The Jordanian Audit Bureau issued the annual governmental audit report revealing 69 cases of embezzlement on public funds in the Kingdom during 2017. The report aims to prevent the waste and misuse of public money, and includes observations and analyses of the violations commuted by governmental entities under the bureau’s supervision.

Prime minister refers nine cases to JIACC. Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz referred nine violations listed in the Audit Bureau’s 2017 report to the Jordan Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission (JIACC). The referred cases are related to tenders for projects and agreements under the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, as well as financial and supervisory cases related to Yarmouk University and Jordan University of Science and Technology.

Jordan’s Human Rights Commissioner says corruption is rooted in the national culture. During a press conference to announce his 2017 report on human rights situation in Jordan, the Commissioner General of the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) Mousa Burayzat stated that corruption was “rooted in the national culture”, especially favoritism and nepotism, which many citizens resort to “secure their basic rights”.

High level Conference in Kosovo* on compliance with anti-corruption and anti-money laundering standards. The Council of Europe and the European Union Office in Kosovo*/EU Special Representative co-organised on Friday, 16 November 2018 a High level Conference under their joint Project against Economic Crime in Kosovo* (PECK II). Attended by a wide range of domestic and international stakeholders, civil society and media, the Conference aimed at presenting the results of the assessment of Kosovo’s compliance with European and international standards in the areas of anti-corruption, anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism. The assessment process undertaken by PECK II follows the well-established methodology used by GRECO and FATF/MONEYVAL, and included a peer review provided by Council of Europe experts.

Kosovo’s* Bid to join Interpol Fails. Kosovo* failed to secure the necessary support of two-thirds of Interpol’s 192 member States in its bid to join the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) at its general assembly in Dubai on 20 November. Kosovo* needed to secure 115 votes to join, and received 51 votes against to 68 in favour, with 16 abstentions. Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, expressed “deep disappointment” on Facebook over Pristina’s failed Interpol bid and accused Serbia of fighting a “vicious campaign” against Kosovo’s membership.

Kosovo* Assembly adopts anti-corruption and rule of law legislation. A set of important laws for the fight against corruption and rule of law area in general were adopted on 23 November 2018. These laws include: Law on Courts, Criminal Code, Law on Disciplinary Responsibility of Judges and Prosecutors, Law on Extended powers of Confiscation, Law on Judicial Council and the Law on Protection of Whistleblowers.

Bill to Strip ex-President’s Immunity Advances in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz lawmakers have given preliminary approval to a bill that would eliminate immunity for ex-Presidents, potentially opening the path for the prosecution of former leader Almazbek Atambaev. The Parliamentary Committee for Legislation, State Structures, and Judicial Issues approved the bill on 27 November, meaning it is now likely to go to the full parliament for debate. The committee's backing comes amid persistent tension between Atambaev, who heads the ruling Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, and his successor, Sooronbai Jeenbekov, a former ally. In October, Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court ruled that the immunity enjoyed by the country's former Presidents is unconstitutional. Only two post-Soviet Kyrgyz leaders currently enjoy the official status of ex-presidents, Atambaev and Roza Otunbaeva, while former Presidents Akaev and Bakiev were stripped of the status when they fled Kyrgyzstan following their ousters. Both have been sentenced in absentia to lengthy prison terms on charges including corruption and abuse of office.

Superior Council of Magistracy criticizes the new Law on Salaries. The Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) disagrees with the provisions of the new Law on Salaries, announced by the Government. While the law foresees a pay raise of 20% to 90% for civil servants in the educational and cultural sector, salaries of judges and prosecutors will be reduced. The SCM suggests maintaining the Special Law on Salaries for judges and prosecutors and argues that the new legislation will make the position of judge unattractive.

Large amount of corruption denunciations from the education sector reaches the National Anti-Corruption Centre. The National Anticorruption Centre (NAC) reported that they received daily complaints of irregularities in the education system, mainly relating to illegal taxes and informal payments. NAC is considering a number of actions to be taken, such as improving the enrolment procedures, checking the legality of the established parents associations and of the efficient and transparent management of the funds collected by voluntary donations.

Additional judges submit resignations. The Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) accepted the resignation of seven judges in the first half of November 2018. An additional six judges also submitted their notice. The SCM declared that the resignations came as a result of the new Law on Salaries.

Montenegro authorities begin the update of the National AML/CFT Risk Assessment. Montenegro has begun updating its National Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing National Risk Assessment (NRA) with a two-day workshop supported by the CoE/EU Horizontal Facility Action against Economic Crime in Montenegro (AEC-MNE). The process is being coordinated by the Financial Intelligence Unit of Montenegro.

Abuse of state resources in Montenegrin Parliament under investigation. The trial started in a case of abuse of state resources, related to an employee of the Parliament who allegedly paid €200,000 to MPs for travel and subsistence costs without proper record/justification. Additionally, the person is also accused of embezzling €35,000 for personal purposes. The employee defended herself saying that she acted upon superiors’ orders.

Corruption case opened against former Mayor of Podgorica might fail due to statute of limitations. The High Court decided not to merge the proceedings related to fraud, misuse of official position, and selling municipal land without a public tender by the former mayor of Podgorica and DPS official Mugosa, with those against associates of the same individuals. The Special Prosecution proposed the merging, but the High Court decided against it and suspended the proceedings due to exceeded time limit. If the Appellate Court does not accept the appeal by the Prosecution, all relevant evidence will be lost. The defendants of the case pleaded not guilty and refused the possibility of a plea bargain with the Prosecution.

Morocco will launch national anti-corruption survey into the private sector. The Moroccan Anti-corruption authority (ICPC) will launch the second phase of the National Anti-Corruption Survey in 2019, which will focus on the private sector. The main objective of this exercise is to analyse the phenomenon of corruption from the point of view of the citizens, taking into account the specificities of the national context, while monitoring the evolution of anti-corruption reforms.

Commission castigates Romania on judicial reform. On 13 November, the European Commission published reports on Bulgaria and Romania under the so-called Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), commending Bulgaria for progress made and lambasting Romania for backtracking. Both countries, however, were warned to uphold media freedom. CVM was set up as a condition of the countries’ EU accession almost eleven years ago, on 1 January 2007. Last year’s report on Romania was rather positive. Bucharest even said that monitoring should be lifted but the Commission rejected the suggestion. Since then, Romania has backtracked so much that the country is now widely seen as the next in line after Poland and Hungary in a procedure that may lead to the triggering of Article 7, under which a country’s voting rights in the European Council are suspended if it flouts the EU’s fundamental rights. Speaking to the press with regard to Romania, Commission Vice-President Timmermans said the developments of the last 12 months had “sadly” put into question and even reversed the progress made over the last ten years.

Romania challenges EC fine for not implementing anti-money laundering directive. Romania is trying to convince the European Court of Justice (CJEU) to reject the fine that the European Commission wants to impose on Romania for not implementing the European directive against money laundering. The European Commission referred Romania to the European Court of Justice in August this year, for failing to implement this directive. The EC asked for a minimum fine of EUR 1.8 million against Romania. Romania’s government agent in charge with challenging this sanction, Radu Cantar, has argued, however, that the fine is unjustified and disproportionate, according to an official document seen by local Hotnews.ro. The argument is that there are fewer than 500 companies controlled by unknown shareholders through bearer shares and over 100 of them are bankrupt. Romania should ban all companies controlled through bearer shares as part of implementing the EU directive against money laundering. The directive should have been transposed in local legislation by June 2017 but the Romanian authorities complained that they didn’t have enough time to do this. On 24 October 2018, the Parliament voted the anti-money laundering law, but the law hasn’t been promulgated yet.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed orders to submit to the State Duma a package of bills aimed at improving government policies in the field of combating corruption. The relevant documents are published on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers. The purpose of the draft laws is to develop uniform approaches to the establishment of anti-corruption prohibitions and duties imposed on certain categories of workers by various organizations, as well as to the legal regulation of prohibitions and restrictions related to the receipt of remuneration and gifts to employees.

Transparency International - Russia reports on undeclared revenues (four hundred million rubles (€5.3 million) of the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. Transparency International claims the revenue was obtained in races by his 128 horses over four years. The organization intends to ask the Office of the President on Anti-Corruption to verify information that Kadyrov did not declare the income from the races and did not pay income tax on the prize money. If this is confirmed, the law provides for the dismissal of an official from his position with the wording "due to loss of confidence."

Russia is ready to work with the BRICS countries in the search for fugitive economic criminals. During the Summit G20 in Buenos Aires, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia hopes that the BRICS countries will support the Russian draft convention on the return of stolen assets in the UN and is ready to work together in the pursuit of fugitive economic criminals.

European Parliament adopts resolution calling for more rule of law reforms in Serbia. MEPs have adopted a resolution in Brussels welcoming Serbia’s progress in making economic reforms, but urging the Serbian authorities to step up their efforts to improve the rule of law in the country. The resolution called on Belgrade to “intensify the fight against corruption and organised crime, and continue to reform the country’s public administration to make it more politically neutral.”

Ministry of Interior: 38 people arrested in action to combat corruption. With an aim to combat financial crime and corruption, the police arrested 38 people in several separate actions in the past few days, while 21 others were charged with criminal charges, the Ministry said. The actions were conducted in cooperation with the Tax Police and the competent Public Prosecutor's Offices. They are suspected that in the period from 2016 until today they have committed crimes that damaged the budget of the Republic of Serbia, legal entities and individuals in the total amount of 1.550.000 Euros.

Survey: Citizens trust the police but also think it is corrupted. Majority of the citizens think that the police’s work in Serbia is politicized. These are the results of a survey commissioned by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCBP). Six out of ten citizens trust the police (61%), which positions this Serbian institution at the world average: between 60 and 90 per cent. At the same time, seven out of ten citizens believe that police officers are corrupt (69%), while three quarters are convinced that their interests are subordinated to those of politics (72%).

The former Head of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence held in custody. The former Head of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence, Sasho Mijalkov for the first time since being in custody, was brought to the Basic Court of Skopje for the trial mainly referring to election irregularities. In this case, alongside Mijalkov, the leader of the political party DPA, Menduh Tachi, and several former members of the State Election Commission were also charged. Mijalkov is charged with the crime of receiving money for unlawful influence, and the others for abuse of official position and authority. Mijalkov also had a hearing scheduled for another case concerning the wiretapping of government officials, politicians, businessmen and journalists, three heads of Administration for Security and Counterintelligence and seven others. The trial for this case was not realized with an explanation from the court that the judges did not have enough time to send an order for Mijalkov to be placed in the investigative prison.

Ex-PM Nikola Gruevski flees the country. The former Prime Minister was charged for abuse of his political power and ordered the then active Minister of Interior Gordana Jankulovska to purchase a luxury car worth approximately €600,000 for his own needs. The buying of the “Mercedes” was kept in secret and the contract for purchasing of the car was signed by the then active deputy minister Gjoko Popovski who carried out the illegal procurement by favoring a single bidder, and the authority to do so was given to him by the Ex-Minister of Interior, Gordana Jankulovska. The former Prime Minister was charged with two-year jail sentence after the Skopje Court of Appeal confirmed his first-instance verdict for in a previous case which was led by the Special Public Prosecutor's Office and referred to the purchase of an official vehicle in 2011. Gruevski has fled the country and is currently seeking political asylum in Hungary.

INLUCC receives 1200 asset declarations. The president of the Tunisian National Anti-Corruption Authority (INLUCC), Chawki Tabib, stated that by 15 November 2017, INLUCC had received 1200 asset declarations out of 350,000 persons who are required to disclose their assets under the Law on Asset Declarations which entered into force on 16 October 2018.

Corruption costs 2 billion dinars to Tunisia each year. The president of the Tunisian National Anti-Corruption Authority (INLUCC), Chawki Tabib, revealed that 2 billion dinars is wasted on corruption every year in Tunisia in public transactions. He stated that this sum instead could be used to build 3 airports, 20 ports, 70 high schools or 500 km of highways.

Tunisian Prime Minister accused of plotting a coup. A senior member of the Tunisian president’s political party has accused the country’s head of government of plotting a coup d’etat. Slim Riahi, the secretary general of President Beji Caid Essebsi’s Nidaa Tounes Party, has initiated legal proceedings in Tunisia’s military court, accusing Mr Chahed of plotting to overthrow the president. The allegations are likely to prolong the country’s long running political crisis. Some analysts suggest it could also distract from corruption charges facing businessman Mr Riahi in connection to his past ownership of a leading football club.

EC urges Ukraine to investigate into attacks on activists, intensify fight against corruption. The European Commission has urged Ukrainian authorities to investigate into attacks on activists in the country, pointed out the slow in judicial reforms, the implementation of anti-corruption measures and the absence of progress in the sphere of investigation of economic crimes. According to the Association Implementation Report posted on the website of the European Commission prepared by the European External Action Service and the European Commission, there have been only few convictions in high-level corruption cases so far and the establishment of the High Anti-Corruption Court remains a test case in this regard.

Ukraine arrests suspect in acid attack case. On 12 November 218, Ukraine arrested a man suspected of being involved in the deadly acid attack on anti-corruption campaigner Kateryna Gandzyuk. Igor Pavlovsky — a former aide to a ruling party lawmaker — was arrested on Monday morning, a spokeswoman for Ukraine’s attorney general said on Twitter. Gandzyuk’s death in early November sparked fresh condemnation of the government and drew renewed attention to dozens of assaults on other anti-corruption campaigners in Ukraine over the past few months. Police detained five people in August, three of whom were placed under house arrest. But it remains unknown who ordered the attack.

Credibility of high anti-corruption court is impossible without transparent competition. Anti-Corruption Action Center, Automaidan, DEJURE Foundation and Transparency International Ukraine welcomed the fact that members of the Public Council of International Experts had been selected and urged the High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ) of Ukraine to ensure proper conditions for the international experts’ work and to adopt rules that will ensure transparency in the competition for the High Anti-Corruption Court. The organisations stated that the conditions for the international experts’ full-scale participation in the competition have not yet been set. In particular, the procedure for the international experts and their translators to access the candidates’ full records has not been established. Moreover, transparency in the competition for the High Anti-Corruption Court has not been ensured either. As of today, the HQCJ has not defined clear criteria for assessing the candidates’ integrity. In this situation, the international experts will not be able to play a crucial role in the selection of anti-corruption judges.