How to act in case of corruption?

If you are offered a bribe (gift, money, service, etc.), or you are otherwise acknowledging acts of corruption (money embezzlement, influence peddling, etc.), then:

  • refuse it and to try to identify the person(s) who made the offer;
  • maintain the evidence of possible act of corruption (this may be useful as evidence in the criminal case);
  • if possible, find a witness (e.g. a colleague);
  • the case should be recorded in writing and report it to your supervisor or the appropriate authority.

Corruption should be reported if you have reasonable doubt and if the complaint is not caused by low motives (lucrative interest etc.) if the official has:

  • violated the law
  • misconducted public property
  • abused a power
  • made any other corruption related transactions or operations.

Corruption offences can be reported in different ways, providing information:

  • to the Central Criminal Police Corruption Crime Bureau email korruptsioonivihje@politsei.ee,
  • to the Central Criminal Police Corruption Crime Bureau hotline +372 612 3657,
  • to the Central Criminal Police Corruption Crime Bureau office address Tööstuse 52, Tallinn 10416,
  • to the Internal Security Service general hotlines +372 612 1500 (for example, if it concerns high-level state officials - President, member of Parliament, minister, Auditor General, Chancellor of Justice, a judge, a prosecutor or the high official from the government institution, the Parliament Office, Office of the President, the Chancellor of Justice, the National Audit Office or a court, the official who have managerial functions in Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Pärnu, Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi local governments)
  • to the Office of Prosecutor's General (http://www.prokuratuur.ee/en) when it officials officials in the law enforcement agencies (such as police).

Please write following information to the report: your name (hotline allows you also leave an anonymous message), personal identification number, place of work or educational institution, place of residence (postal address), phone number, e-mail address, description, time and place of corruption offence, the potential identity of the perpetrator, evidence (documents, witnesses or other).

Submission of knowingly false accusations concerning commission of a criminal offence by another person is punishable by a pecuniary punishment or up to one year of imprisonment according to the Penal Code to § 319th.