Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau restricts access to officials’ property declarations

For more than two weeks, the public has been unable to access the property declarations of Georgia’s public officials, raising concerns over transparency. The declarations, previously available on the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s website, can now only be obtained through formal requests for public information. The Bureau has up to 10 days to respond.

The issue was first flagged by Radio Liberty in early December, when the Bureau’s press service described the situation as a “glitch” that would be resolved shortly. However, two weeks later, the website remains inaccessible, complicating the work of journalists and non-governmental organizations tracking corruption risks. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) has condemned the move, likening it to the pre-2010 period when officials’ property declarations were not publicly accessible.

On December 6, the IDFI applied to the Anti-Corruption Bureau for clarification. However, the agency did not confirm the existence of a technical problem or provide a timeline for resolution.

The current situation follows significant changes to the Law on Combating Corruption in May. Amendments passed by Parliament allowed a 60-day window before high-ranking officials’ declarations were made public, up from the previous 48-hour period. This change has limited access to vital information about the incomes of top officials and their families, raising further concerns over transparency.