When wealth raises questions: Anti-corruption conference in Podgorica
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- Published: January 16, 2026
According to EU country reports, corruption remains one of the main problems in the preparations for EU accession of the current candidate countries, including Montenegro. That is why IRZ has been working there for years with the NGO MANS, the main organiser of the annual national anti-corruption conference.
The importance of this event is underlined by the fact that it is supported by the EU itself, among others.
The 8th Anti-Corruption Conference, which was opened by Montenegrin Minister of Justice Bojan Bojovic and Peter Felten, German Ambassador to Montenegro, as well as other of his counterparts, addressed the topic of ‘Unexplained assets and lifestyle as important early indicators of high-level corruption’. It provided a forum for exchange, particularly with regard to the verification and confiscation of assets among judges, prosecutors and police officers. Mechanisms for integrity checks and accountability were also discussed.
On behalf of IRZ, Detlef Kreuzer, former head of the Economic Crime Division at the Hamburg State Office of Criminal Investigation, who has also gained extensive experience in reforming countries as an international expert, presented the practices in these countries and the German legal perspective.
He developed recommendations for action and practical guidelines, including, in particular, integrity checks based on reliable data. He also emphasised that although a reversal of the burden of proof is legally possible, it requires a very solid basis in the form of concrete grounds for suspicion, which must meet very high standards. In addition, he pointed out that the implementation of vetting and similar screening procedures also has a general impact on the institutions concerned, including a significant signal effect for the next generation.
The event, which as usual received broad media coverage in the country itself, is documented in its original form on YouTube. Mr Kreuzer's presentation can be found there from 03:01:05 and Ambassador Felten's welcoming address can be heard from 18:28.