Dr Milica Bisic ( Bosnia and Herzegovina) former Head of the Tax Administration in Republika Srpska

"Milica Bisic, all alone managed to establish an institution with integrity, an institution that will work for the benefit of the people. Dr Bisic has brought this country a long way and we salute her."
Boris Divjak, President, TI Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dr Milica Bisic from Bosnia and Herzegovina is Professor of Economics at the University of Belgrade and former Head of the Tax Administration in Republika Srpska. After years of a devastating war, the tax administration was among those institutions where corruption was the most rampant in Republika Srpska. Dr Bisic fearlessly took on corruption in this system, clamping down on those benefiting from a shadow economy by refusing to pay their share of taxes. For the first time, the process of forcible collection of taxes was applied to large businesses. Many have since been charged with tax evasion and have closed down.
Dr Bisic has implemented a series of administrative and legal reforms which will have a lasting impact on the tax system in Republika Srpska, and she introduced a new control system for tax collectors in order to reduce the incidence of bribery in the tax administration system itself. But most importantly, she gave the tax administration credibility and respect in the eyes of the public.

"The Goldenberg scandal made Kenya a poorer country, financially, structurally and morally. Acts of corruption like this one owe their exposure to the courage and integrity of only a few individuals such as Lagat and Munyakei. The TI Integrity Awards recognise that - perhaps even more important than laws administered from the top - ultimately it is individuals adhering to their principles and fighting against corruption that will turn the tide in Kenya."
Gladwell Otieno, Executive Director, TI Kenya.

Constable Naftali Lagat and David Munyakei from Kenya helped to expose the Goldenberg scandal, one of the largest and most complex financial scandals in Kenyan history.

Munyakei, then a clerk at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), noticed that a company called Goldenberg International was receiving unusually large sums of money for the alleged export of gold and diamonds. He blew the whistle on the Goldenberg scandal by providing CBK documents to opposition members of parliament. These documents revealed illegal transactions between the Central Bank and Goldenberg International. The courage to disclose these corrupt practices resulted in Munyakei's arrest, sacking, and possibly the loss of his only parent.

Constable Lagat was one of the police officers on duty at the airport one night in 1991 when a director of Goldenberg International arrived, carrying a suitcase full of gold. Constable Lagat
bravely refused orders from senior officials whom he suspected of trying to cover up illegal actions. Even after he was forced to appear before the Criminal Investigations Department the Constable did not budge, refusing to give into corrupt officials as he felt that he would be breaking the rules.