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Press Release
The ACRC recommends public organizations strengthen punishment for corrupt employees
- Date2015-01-08
- Hit1,640
May 14, 2014
The ACRC recommended prosecution for cases with proceeds of corruption over KRW 2 million and disclosure of punishment records on the website
The ACRC is pushing forward a plan to toughen the disciplinary punishment system for the corrupt employees of public service-related organizations such as public companies, in line with the standards for civil servants.
The ACRC recommended measures to strengthen punishment for corrupt employees of public organizations to more than 1,180 public organizations, including central government departments, local governments, offices of education in cities and provinces, and public service-related organizations.
The ACRC conducted a fact-finding investigation for 4 months since last October to examine disciplinary measures taken against the employees of 165 public organizations. Its investigation revealed that about 20% of corrupt officials whose proceeds of corruption were more than KRW 3 million faced only light disciplinary measures, indicating that corrupt behaviors tend to be generously tolerated.
Furthermore, the rate of the local governments that detected corrupt officials through an internal investigation was as low as 18.2%, while most public organizations did not have a specific standard to charge an official with corruption or perfunctorily applied such a standard.
Accordingly, the ACRC recommended adjusting the legal preion of punishment for corrupt employees of public organizations, including state-owned companies, to five years, the same level as public officials.
Moreover, the Commission created the disciplinary standards for corrupt behaviors such as bribery, embezzlement, and misappropriation, and also recommended stipulating restriction on the mitigation of punishment for those who committed serious corruption.
In addition, the ACRC recommended restricting voluntary resignation of an official who is under investigation, demand for serious disciplinary measures, or prosecution for corruption; mandatorily creating a standard for prosecution of corrupt officials; and mandatorily bringing criminal charges against the persons who received money or entertainment or committed embezzlement or misuse of public funds of KRW 2 million or more in relation to their duties.
Also, the Commission recommended to public organizations that the current status of disciplinary punishment for corrupt officials should be disclosed on the official website if the disciplinary punishment is finalized through an investigation by an outside organization such as the police or the prosecution.
The ACRC plans to analyze and make public the appropriateness of the disciplinary system, the implementation of the recommended measures, and the best practices of each public organization, and to reflect the results into the Anti-Corruption Initiatives Assessment that it conducts for public sector organizations annually, in order to establish the principle of intolerance towards corrupt officials.
The ACRC recommended prosecution for cases with proceeds of corruption over KRW 2 million and disclosure of punishment records on the website
The ACRC is pushing forward a plan to toughen the disciplinary punishment system for the corrupt employees of public service-related organizations such as public companies, in line with the standards for civil servants.
The ACRC recommended measures to strengthen punishment for corrupt employees of public organizations to more than 1,180 public organizations, including central government departments, local governments, offices of education in cities and provinces, and public service-related organizations.
The ACRC conducted a fact-finding investigation for 4 months since last October to examine disciplinary measures taken against the employees of 165 public organizations. Its investigation revealed that about 20% of corrupt officials whose proceeds of corruption were more than KRW 3 million faced only light disciplinary measures, indicating that corrupt behaviors tend to be generously tolerated.
Furthermore, the rate of the local governments that detected corrupt officials through an internal investigation was as low as 18.2%, while most public organizations did not have a specific standard to charge an official with corruption or perfunctorily applied such a standard.
Accordingly, the ACRC recommended adjusting the legal preion of punishment for corrupt employees of public organizations, including state-owned companies, to five years, the same level as public officials.
Moreover, the Commission created the disciplinary standards for corrupt behaviors such as bribery, embezzlement, and misappropriation, and also recommended stipulating restriction on the mitigation of punishment for those who committed serious corruption.
In addition, the ACRC recommended restricting voluntary resignation of an official who is under investigation, demand for serious disciplinary measures, or prosecution for corruption; mandatorily creating a standard for prosecution of corrupt officials; and mandatorily bringing criminal charges against the persons who received money or entertainment or committed embezzlement or misuse of public funds of KRW 2 million or more in relation to their duties.
Also, the Commission recommended to public organizations that the current status of disciplinary punishment for corrupt officials should be disclosed on the official website if the disciplinary punishment is finalized through an investigation by an outside organization such as the police or the prosecution.
The ACRC plans to analyze and make public the appropriateness of the disciplinary system, the implementation of the recommended measures, and the best practices of each public organization, and to reflect the results into the Anti-Corruption Initiatives Assessment that it conducts for public sector organizations annually, in order to establish the principle of intolerance towards corrupt officials.
