Strengthening whistleblower protection and perceptions in the Czech Republic

In January 2011, the Open Society Fund Prague in cooperation with the American Embassy in Prague and Government Accountability Project (GAP) organized a workshop focusing on how investigative journalists, whistleblowers, and non-governmental organizations could work together to enact change and enhance true accountability. Specifically, the conference addressed the contextual challenges facing whistleblowers after they disclosed institutional wrongdoing, and explained NGOs could effectively support them.

The workshop was attended by Czech journalists and NGOs representatives. Among the international speakers were: Bea Edwards (International Reform Director, Government Accountability Project, USA), Dylan Blaylock (Communications Director, GAP, USA), Cathy James (Director, Public Concern at Work, UK), Brant Houston (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA) and David E. Kaplan (Center for Public Integrity, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, USA).

The workshop was held soon after the Czech Republic experienced its biggest whistleblowing affair. In December 2010, the Czech government faced a no-confidence vote after tapes were leaked in which the Minister of the Environment instructed a subordinate to destroy any documents that would implicate senior officials in corruption. Libor Michalek—then-director of the State Environmental Fund and the whistleblower behind the tapes—recorded the conversations after he was instructed on several occasions to issue a call for bids on projects where the winners had been predetermined. After Michalek’s attempts to contact the Prime Minister in order to open an investigation were ignored, he began working with a local journalist in order to gather evidence of corruption. Once the tapes became public, Michalek lost his job and faced a smear campaign. But he also received support from other employees at the State Environment Fund as well as many news commentators.

Open Society Fund Prague keeps monitoring the whistleblowing issue in the Czech Republic and supports a number of Czech non-governmental organizations working with whistleblowers as a part of its Transparency and Public Accountability Program.

Watch the interviews with Dylan Blaylock and Cathy James on whistleblowing: