The Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (), better known as USKOK, is a specialized agency within the Croatian State's Attorney Office focused on investigations related to corruption and organized crime in Croatia.
USKOK was formed in December 2001 and its headquarters are located in Zagreb.About USKOK The bureau's name is a bacronym from , a term used for a type of Croatian militia men, who fought with guerilla tactics against the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th and 17th centuries.
Since 2009, USKOK has a counterpart in the Criminal Police Directorate (governing the Croatian Police) which maintains the National Police USKOK (), as well as in the judiciary – the Court Departments for Criminal Cases in the Jurisdiction of USKOK ()."Antikorupcija: Izgradnja institucija zaduženih za suzbijanje korupcije" Described as "one of the world's most formidable anti-corruption outfits", the agency has prosecuted 2,000 individuals and achieved a 95% conviction rate in 2012, including former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.
In its 2014 EU Anti-Corruption report, the European Commission commended USKOK's ability to execute impartial investigations but later noted in 2017 enduring problems concerning its political neutrality and independence from the Croatian government.
References
External links Official website