Role and activities
The main goal of the CBA is combating corruption where the public sector meets the private one. The CBA’s activity is based on four pillars:
1. operational and investigational activities,
2. control activities,
3. analytical activities,
4. anti-corruption prevention, including anti-corruption education of the society.
Within the first pillar, the CBA`s tasks comprise recognition, prevention and detection of offences against, among others, the activity of public institutions and local government, the administration of justice, financing of political parties, fiscal obligations as well as donation and subvention settlement.
In criminal investigation,the CBA officers are entitled to use police powers which may be supported by special measures such as:
- operational control,e.g. wiretapping,
- undercover operations,
- technical surveillance.
The second pillar involves the control of the correctness and truthfulness of asset declarations or statements on conducting business activities by persons performing public functions as well as the detection and fight against acts of breaking the law within the scope of the decisions issued and accomplished within the scope of, among others, privatisation and commercialisation, financial support and granting public procurement orders as well as conducting business activities by persons performing public functions.
The third pillar covers carrying out of analytical activities concerning the phenomena falling within the scope of the CBA`s competence as well as presenting information on the above to the Parliament of the Republic of Poland, President of the Republic of Poland and the Prime Minister. This involves the CBA’s activity within the “anti-corruption shield”, which was elaborated in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (KPRM) according to the decision of the Prime Minister. The main goal of the “shield” is prevention of irregularities in privatisation of key enterprises and in public procurements. The activities within the scope of the anti-corruption shield are coordinated by the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.
Competent authorities and special services are involved in the implementation of the programme. Materials verified by the CBA are submitted to the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. Other services lodge them directly to the ministers in charge while the Chancellery of the Prime Minister is provided with the copies.
Since 2010, the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau has been paying special attention to corruption prevention and anti-corruption education.
To perform its functions within the above activities, described in the fourth pillar, the CBA created a portal on Anti-Corruption Education on the educational site (www.antykorupcja.pl). It is a review of corruption phenomena, aiming at the promotion of attitudes and behaviours favouring corruption prevention. The portal is an information source – beginning with domestic and international legal regulations and ending up with a wide choice of publications.
