The Court of Audit together with partners participated in the International Fraud Awareness Week held between 18 and 22 November 2019 under the auspices of the world's largest anti-fraud organization the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The common objective of the project is to exchange best practice and to encourage senior managers and employees in public and private sector, students and other interested stakeholders to play a proactive role in reducing the impacts of fraud, corruption and other forms of economic crime in our environment by respecting powers of each participating institution. The most valuable contribution of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) is primarily to increase transparency of processes pertaining to management and to accountability of the persons responsible for the decisions regarding budget implementation and other public spending.
Opening ceremony
The event at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia opened dr. Sandra Damijan, member of the ACFE Advisory Council, with her welcome speech, followed by other speakers including all signatories, among others the Court of Audit, of joint statement to cooperate in the International Fraud Awareness Week 2019. The President of the Court of Audit, Tomaž Vesel, pointed out the efforts of the Slovenian SAI to ensure greater efficiency of supervisory institutions in combating fraud and to enhance cooperation with other authorities which are responsible for or have the power to affect the prosecution of criminal offences.
Round table Following the Money – Youth and Corruption
President of the Court of Audit, Tomaž Vesel, attended the round table Following the Money – Youth and Corruption organised by the students of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Ljubljana in cooperation with the students of the Faculty of Law of the University of Ljubljana. In the meeting also participated: Lidija Hren, Head of the EkstraVisor Investigation Group at RTV Slovenia, Boris Štefanec, Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, and Goran Novković, Executive Director of the Slovenian Business Club.
Financial fraud and corruption
The Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security organised lectures on the issue of financial fraud and corruption. Advisor to Supreme State Auditor, mag. Peter Premrl presented the structure, organisation and work of the Court of Audit, and highlighted the important role of the institution in the exchange of information among different authorities. On the example of specific audits the students were also familiarised with infographics and the possibility to search information at the new webpage of the Court of Audit, which can also be of use to their further studies.
Frauds in healthcare and the problem of corruption in the public procurement system
As part of the International Fraud Awareness Week also a discussion on the issue of fraud in healthcare sector and corruption in the public procurement system was held . The debate was led by dr. Bojan Dobovšek from the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security in Maribor and experience of the concerned field were also shared by Advisor to the President of the Court of Audit, Borut Smrdel who presented the findings arising from past audits of the Court of Audit covering the field of healthcare. Mirjan Hren from the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, Boštjan Slak from the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security in Maribor and Aleš Behram from Deloitte Slovenia also joined the talks.
Central conference and the best student video on corruption announcement
At the conference, which was held as part of the International Fraud Awareness Week, the winners of the best video contest were announced. Authors of the winning video titled Notice and speak out were the students of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Ljubljana, Eva Strmole, Špela Rojht, Nejc Jarm and Jure Klenovšek.