Stiffer Punishment for Officials Overlooking Corruption
By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
Public officials could face disciplinary action if they neglect to report their corrupt colleagues, according to a set of reinforced guidelines by the Anti Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC).
``Public officials with prior knowledge of their colleagues' breach of law often neglect their responsibility to inform the proper authorities, leading to a serious lack of morale in Korea's public service," a commission spokesperson said Tuesday.
The commission's guidelines stipulate that those who fail to inform the authorities of their colleagues' wrongdoings will be disciplined along with the corrupt official. Audit offices of administrative agencies will be responsible for inspecting prior knowledge of corrupt actions.
The ACRC will submit the guidelines to administrative agencies so they can be incorporated into their respective standards for disciplinary action, and run sessions to explain the significance of the new guidelines.
``The reinforced guidelines will contribute to a more effective internal cross-checking of corruption in the public sector and generate a higher sense of respect for integrity among public servants," a commission official said.
The commission found that few adhere to the existing mandatory clauses for public servants to report any illegal activity among their colleagues or superiors.
It looked into audit reports compiled by central government agencies and 16 local administrations on the causes of disciplinary action, and found that there were almost no cases of punishment for officials neglecting to report corruption detected in their workplaces.