ESET founder launches website for corruption whistleblowers

AIMING to reduce corruption and its devastating impact on the quality of life and business in Slovakia, entrepreneurs Miroslav Trnka and Michal Blaha launched a website for corruption whistleblowers on July 11.

AIMING to reduce corruption and its devastating impact on the quality of life and business in Slovakia, entrepreneurs Miroslav Trnka and Michal Blaha launched a website for corruption whistleblowers on July 11.

Trnka and Blaha estimate that corruption costs Slovak taxpayers billions of euros a year, which represents about half of the state budget’s deficit. This money could be used, for example, to build 20 hospitals equipped with high-tech technology or 10,000 new playgrounds, or to significantly increase the salaries of teachers and nurses.

Along with the new website, Trnka, a co-founder of software company ESET, and Blaha, from the advertising sector, have founded the ‘Stop Corruption Foundation’, which they say aims to establish an organisational, legal and financial basis for protecting and supporting whistleblowers.

“Corruption in Slovakia is like cancer; it spreads through all levels of society and undermines its foundation,” Trnka told the Sme daily. “Public finances have always been less protected than private ones: when something belongs to everybody, it belongs to nobody.”

When there is no one to report corruption it continues to spread, said Trnka and Blaha, who stated that last year the police handled no corruption cases, and only one the year before that. The two businessmen also pointed out that the government’s anti-corruption line received no corruption-related complaints in 2013 or 2014.

People can turn to the foundation with suspicions of corruption, fraud and the misuse of public money. The foundation will protect their identity and privacy. Complaints can be filed at Zastavmekorupciu.sk, which provides secure communication.

Source: TASR, Sme

Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports.
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
presented in its Flash News postings.

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