Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption

Download


Introduction

With the entry into force of the Federal Law on the Establishment and Organization of the Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAK) as of 1 January 2010, the Federal Bureau for Internal Affairs (BIA) was transformed into the BAK.

The BAK is an institution of the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior. Organizationally speaking, it is, de jure, established outside the Directorate-General for Public Security and has nationwide jurisdiction in

  • the prevention of and the fight against corruption,
  • the close cooperation with the Public Prosecutor's Office for White-Collar Crime and Corruption (WKStA) and
  • security police and criminal police cooperation with foreign and international anti-corruption institutions.

Corruption is a complex phenomenon which has to be tackled in a holistic way. According to its legal mandate, the BAK follows a 4-pillar approach:

  • Prevention – includes, inter alia, the analysis of corruption phenomena and the development of adequate preventive measures.
  • Education – through information transfer as well as educational and awareness raising campaigns.
  • Law enforcement – i.e. security police and criminal police investigations.
  • Cooperation – with national and international institutions working in the field of preventing and combating corruption, as well as exchange of best practices.

Back to top 


Organization

Organigramm BAK
Organizational Chart BAK, © BMI

From the organizational point of view, the Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAK) is an institution of the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior set up outside the Directorate-General for Public Security.

It is divided into four departments:

  • Department 1 - Resources, Support and Legal Affairs
  • Department 2 - Prevention, Education and International Cooperation
  • Department 3 - Corruption Investigations
  • Department 4 - Investigation and Complaints Office for Allegations of Police Ill-treatment

 

Back to top 


Mission Statement

Prevention of and fight against corruption:

Integrity

Objectivity

Discretion

Trust

Appreciation

“Managing values is like drilling solid planks, with passion, and a sense of perspective at the same time.” (based loosely on Max Weber)

 

Back to top