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Tackling Financial Crime with Tough Whistleblower Policies

Saint Helena Government Takes Bold Step to Combat Fraud and Corruption

December 15, 2015 - The Saint Helena Government has introduced whistleblower policies aimed at detecting and preventing fraud and corruption on the island. This bold move is a commitment to ensure that resources entrusted to them by the UK Parliament for the use of the Saint Helena taxpayer are not lost through fraudulent activities.

Defining Fraud and Corruption

Fraud is defined as the use of deception to obtain an advantage, avoid an obligation or cause a loss to another party. Corruption, on the other hand, is a form of dishonest or unethical conduct by a person entrusted with a position of authority, often to acquire personal benefit.

Government Commitment

“We are committed to ensuring that resources entrusted to us by the UK Parliament for the use of the Saint Helena taxpayer will not be lost through fraud and corruption,” said Financial Secretary Colin Owen. “The risk of fraud and corruption is an ever-present fact across the world, and we must manage this risk carefully.”

Measures in Place

  • Any reports of potential fraud or corruption will be thoroughly examined and investigated if necessary.
  • Anyone found to have been involved in fraudulent and corrupt activity or to have been negligent in supervision will face disciplinary or criminal proceedings.
  • The government has outlined measures to recover lost funds and may withhold future funding from partner governments where arrangements for preventing or detecting fraud and corruption fail to improve.

Reporting Suspicions

Residents are encouraged to report any suspicions of fraud or corruption to the Counter Fraud and Whistleblowing Unit (CFWU) at DFID, which can be reached via:

On-island, concerns can be reported to the Head of Internal Audit, who will pass on the information to DFID.

Additional Resources

For those who suspect fraud, additional resources and advice are available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development/about#reporting-fraud

Contact Information

For further information, please contact the Saint Helena Government Communications Hub at 22470 or communications@sainthelena.gov.sh.