Anti-Corruption Officer

Preamble

Corruption causes significant economic damage, impedes fair competition, and leads to a negative external impact and loss of confidence in any institution affected by it.

Preventing and fighting corruption is therefore in the interest of all employees of the University of Kassel. The University of Kassel gives high priority to the defense against corruption and contributes through appropriate measures to the sensitization of all employees and to the unrestricted clarification.

How is corruption defined?

The term "corruption" has not been specifically defined by law. In the legal sense, corruption is the abuse of a position of trust in an organization or office with the aim of obtaining a material or immaterial advantage for oneself or others to which there is no legally justified entitlement. Corruption thus primarily describes the criminal offences of giving and taking bribes, accepting and granting benefits.

Conduct in the event of suspected corruption

Employees of the University of Kassel are obliged to inform their superiors immediately if they receive concrete, comprehensible indications of corrupt behavior. In doing so, neither misconduct of individuals out of misunderstood solidarity should be covered up, nor should suspicions be expressed lightly.

Common goal: Fighting corruption

Support your university in detecting and investigating corruption. Corruption can only be prevented and fought if all employees share the goal that corruption is neither tolerated nor supported.

If you have any indications or reasonable suspicion of an incident of corruption, it is also possible to contact the Anti-Corruption Officer of the University of Kassel directly.

Anti-Corruption Officer of the University of Kassel
Sabine Sors-Eisfeld
Phone: +49 561 804-7036

Deputy:
Andrej Peklaj
Phone: +49 561 804-3864

Function, position and duties of the anti-corruption officer

The Anti-Corruption Officer acts as a contact person for the employees, students and business partners of the University of Kassel and third parties. He/She receives information - also without observing official channels or confidentially - about corruption or related offenses and informs and advises on their prevention and detection as well as on procedures after the occurrence of a well-founded suspicion of corruption or an incident of corruption.

The Anti-Corruption Officer of the University of Kassel is independent of instructions in the exercise of his/her function and is only responsible to the university management. He/she must maintain confidentiality about the facts and circumstances of employees of which he/she becomes aware, except vis-à-vis the university management and law enforcement agencies of the state (courts, public prosecutors' offices).

  • checking the validity of the information received
  • taking up suspicious cases and informing the university management
  • supporting the investigating authorities in clearing up allegations of corruption
  • Participation in the further training of employees of the University of Kassel on preventing and combating corruption
  • Implementation of guidelines regarding the acceptance of rewards, gifts and other benefits by employees of the university
  • Annual reporting to the university management

Legal context

Information on acceptance of rewards, gifts and other benefits