UK joins efforts to tackle corruption in Honduras
The Association for a More Fair Society (ASJ) through the Legal Assistance Centre (ALAC) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) presented their initiative “Dilo Aquí Honduras” (Say it Here Honduras) with the support of the British Embassy.
Launch of anti corruption App
“Say it Here Honduras” is a mobile application (App) that aims to provide citizens with a mechanism for reporting abuse and any kind of corruption involving officials, civil servants or state institutions. The tool will allow citizens to send complaints about corruption cases quickly and efficiently. Each person enters the data of the agency or entity, officials involved and additional files (photos, videos or documents).
The MP will handle all information sent through the App confidentially, then will process the complaint, undertaking appropriate legal action where necessary; while ALAC will provide the respective monitoring for each of the complaints.
Allegations of corruption, racketeering, smuggling and other crimes may be submitted through the application. These complaints can be sent in confidence to the MP who is then responsible for classifying and presenting them to each of the institutions involved in the investigation process.
The App can be downloaded for free for use with IOS and Android systems in both Google Play and App Store. The App may also be accessed directly from any computer with internet access, via the website of ASJ: www.asjhonduras.com.
The App is possible thanks to the sponsorship of the British Embassy and the partnership with Transparency International Venezuela, which has also developed a similar concept to encourage complaints. Transparency International Guatemala is another Latin American nation that has introduced this tool.
The Legal Assistance Centre, responsible for the management of the new App, helps victims and witnesses of corruption in finding the legal options available and to file their complaints with the competent authorities. In 2014 ALAC enabled the 131 phone number; and since its inception, it has received about 800 complaints, of which more than 200 cases are in the process of monitoring, four cases are currently in the Honduran courts, and three are in the process of prosecution by the MP.
ASJ is the Honduras chapter of Transparency International (TI), a civil society organization whose mission is to work for a society where justice prevails. Its main focus is that the Government system works, and is fair especially for the most vulnerable; through the implementation of projects that promote transparency, citizen participation and fighting corruption.