Whistle Blowing Law: A Necessary Tool for Combating Corruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

This paper highlights the necessity of passing whistle blowing legislation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in order to serve as an effective anti-corruption tool. Corruption being more attractive where the possibility of detection and investigation is minor; therefore the person well-placed to detect or disclose corruption and related offenses is this one who works where such misconduct is occurring. Encouraging people to make disclosures about wrongdoing requires the setting up of legal mechanisms to protect those who speak out for public interest because they are frequently exposed to reprisals as a result of their disclosures. Not surprisingly, in the environment where there is no such encouragement and protection, people prefer to stay silent and not to disclose information which might be crucial for public interest.

Following the model of legislations in the United States, United Kingdom, South Australia, South Africa, or New Zealand, the DRC should also enact its own version of whistle blowing law in order to end the spectrum of secrecy, and thereby increase its chance of detection of, investigations of, and deterrence of corruption and related offenses.

Keywords: Corruption, information, whistleblowing, workplace