Corruption-free state just a fairy tale, says prosecutor general
Prosecutor General Lavly Perling said if corruption is not investigated then it supposedly is non-existent and Estonia can climb international rankings in the short-term, adding that the effects will kick in later when people discover corruption has set in in new places.
“A corruption-free state is, alas, a fairy tale, which can be uprooted from society only on paper or in Excel tables,” Perling said in an opinion piece in Eesti Päevaleht.
She said examples of nations where corruption has not been tackled are easy to find even close by and authorities must use the full force of the law in the battle against corruption.
Perling said the authorities must aim: base findings on analysis, involve the private sector, consider regional and different sector needs. "They must do everything to ensure that the crime does not pay, confiscate as much criminal assets as possible. Allow that money to return to the economy,” she said.
Estonia has been hit by a number of large-scale corruption cases in recent months, including Edgar Savisaar, the currently-suspended mayor of Tallinn who is a suspect in a bribery case, and the two-man board of the state-owned Port of Tallinn, who are under arrest for allegedly accepting bribes worth millions of euros.
Editor: J.M. Laats