Slovak corruption problematic, says American Ambassador

Corruption represents a problem for countries around the world and Slovakia is no exception, US Ambassador to Slovakia Theodore Sedgwick said on the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day on Tuesday. According to Sedgwick, anti-corruption measures have been passed in Slovakia, yet a lot more needs to be done. The Ambassador pointed out that Slovakia has improved its ranking on the Transparency International's Corruption Index, but the country is still listed as the sixth from the bottom. "We welcome recent reforms adopted by the Slovak Government, including the passing of new Whistleblower Protection Act. However, this new legislation is only a fraction of the solution needed. Corrupted officials must be held accountable", he stressed, adding that few government officials have been sentenced for corruption since the founding of Slovakia in 1993. "If we leave such individuals to their own devices, corruption will persist and undermine the trust of public towards the Government and its institutions" said Sedgwick.