Swiss whistleblower alerts increase by a third
A total of 122 alerts were received by the federal authorities in 2017, 44 more than the previous year. The increase has been attributed to the introduction of an online platform for reporting irregularities and corruption.
In 43% of the cases, the denunciations concerned federal government employees and the remaining 57% were directed against outsiders, announced the Federal Audit Office on Saturday, confirming articles in the weekly publications Schweiz am Wochenende and the Südostschweiz am Wochenende.
According to the papers, the majority of alerts involved suspicions of corruption, irregularities in the management or awarding of public contracts, or endangering national assets.
As of June 2017, whistleblowers – both federal employees or private individuals – can report suspected irregularities on a dedicated online platformExternal link anonymously, securely and without furnishing proof. The only condition is not to breach the trust or obligation of diligence towards an employer, for example by communicating with the press.
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New online platform for anonymous tip-offs
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