(ANSA) - Rome, June 28 - There has been a boom in whistleblowing in the public and private sector in 2018, anti-corruption authority ANAC said Thursday. With an average of over two reports to the agency a day, the rate of whistleblowing has doubled in the first five months of the year compared to last year, ANAC said. From January to May 2018, ANAC said, it had opened 334 cases while in the whole of 2017 they were 364, compared to 174 in 2016 and 125 in 2015.
More than 90% of the cases of whistleblowing occur in the public sector, ANAC said.
"The reports could rise further if there was a minimum of certainty about the fact that the whistleblowers would be safeguarded," said ANAC chief Raffaele Cantone.
He said he was "comforted" by Rome Chief Prosecutor Giuseppe Pignatone's assertion that in some cases new regulations on informants who have turned State's evidence could be applied.
photo: ANAC chief Cantone
Whistleblowing boom in 2018 - ANAC
Rate of reporting doubles in first five months of year