Corruption prevention
Measures to prevent corruption
In October 2006, the city councillors instructed the administration to take appropriate measures to prevent corruption. These include the appointment of an ombudsman as a contact person for citizens, companies and employees.
In 2007, the city council decided to appoint an ombudsman. The role of the ombudsman is to confidentially investigate allegations of bribery, acceptance of benefits and corruption, inform the city's Anti-Corruption Coordinator of substantiated cases of suspicion and advise the Lord Mayor on how to proceed.
Lawyer Thomas Leibner was appointed as the 3rd Ombudsman of the City of Chemnitz by the City Council on 21 May 2014. According to one of the key principles of corruption prevention, rotation, a change in the person of the ombudsman is necessary.
The ombudsman works independently and has far-reaching powers, such as an unrestricted right to information. As the ombudsman is obliged to maintain confidentiality, the informant need not fear any professional or personal disadvantages.
Corruption prevention within the city administration of Chemnitz
In addition to the external ombudsman, a municipal employee, Ms Kathrin Scholz, was appointed as anti-corruption coordinator to organise internal administrative measures to prevent and combat corruption.
Her tasks include planning and organising training courses on corruption prevention for all SVC employees, including ongoing training, developing and updating internal administrative regulations, providing specialist guidance on the topic of corruption prevention/advisory functions for all SVC employees and theirThe anti-corruption department is also responsible for the development of the SVC's anti-corruption programme, including ongoing training for all SVC employees and its own companies, the initiation of further internal administrative steps in cases of suspected corruption and participation in exchanges of experience with other cities and specialist conferences with the aim of further developing SVC's anti-corruption policy.
At the same time, the Anti-Corruption Coordinator is the contact person for the Ombudsman with regard to initiating further internal administrative steps.