Protection of Whistleblowers (Whistleblowing)

In accordance with Act No. 171/2023 Coll., on the protection of whistleblowers, which transposed Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of the law, the conditions for reporting unlawful conduct, for the receipt and assessment of such reports, as well as for ensuring redress and keeping records of how reports are dealt with, are set out. 

The main objective of whistleblower protection is to enable the detection of unlawful conduct taking place in the workplace or in the course of work (or other similar) activities or in connection therewith, which employees and other natural persons in a similar position would not normally report to the employer or the relevant state authorities, particularly for fear of losing their job or suffering other reprisals.

A whistleblower is a natural person who, in connection with their work or other similar activities, has become aware of unlawful conduct that breaches a legal provision falling within one of the areas listed below, and has reported this fact via an internal reporting system, an external reporting system or by making a public disclosure, or directly to the relevant public authorities (e.g. the police, the public prosecutor, or an administrative penalty authority).

The City of Příbram, as an obliged entity in accordance with Section 9(2)(b) of Act No. 171/2023, on the protection of whistleblowers, excludes the acceptance of reports from persons who do not perform work or any other similar activity for the obliged entity in accordance with Section 2(3)(a), (b), (h) or (i) of the aforementioned Act. This system is intended exclusively for the town’s internal staff, interns or contractors and is not intended to deal with general complaints from members of the public. 

Work or other similar activity means: 

a) employment carried out under a standard employment contract,

b) self-employment,

c) the exercise of rights associated with participation in a legal entity,

d) the performance of the function of a member of a body of a legal entity,

e) the performance of tasks within the scope of a legal person’s activities, in its interest, on its behalf or for its account,

f) the administration of a trust fund,

g) voluntary work,

h) professional work experience, an internship,

i) the exercise of rights and obligations arising from a contract the subject matter of which is the provision of supplies, services, construction works or other similar performance, or

j) applying for a job or other similar activity.

The natural persons referred to above are entitled to report unlawful conduct (breaches of Union law) relating to any of the following areas:

a) financial services, statutory audit and other assurance services, financial products and financial markets,

b) corporation tax,

c) the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing,

d) consumer protection,

(e) compliance with product requirements, including product safety,

f) safety of transport, carriage and road traffic,

g) environmental protection,

h) food and feed safety and the protection of animals and their health,

i) radiation protection and nuclear safety,

j) competition, public auctions and public procurement,

k) the protection of public order and safety, and of life and health,

l) the protection of personal data, privacy and the security of electronic communications networks and information systems,

m) the protection of the financial interests of the European Union, or

n) the functioning of the internal market, including the protection of competition and State aid under European Union law.

The person designated to receive, examine and deal with notifications is: 

Tomáš Doul, Keystone Company a.s., tel.: 608 183 080, email: info@ksco.cz.

The recommended method for submitting any reports anonymously is via the SpeakUp app on the website: speakup.cz – and entering the organisation code: Y91L6ad4Zm

Other ways to submit reports:

By telephone on 608 183 080.
In person, by prior arrangement via telephone on 608 183 080 or by email at info@ksco.cz.
In writing via email: info@ksco.cz.
In writing by post to the following address: City of Příbram, Tyršova 108, Příbram I, 261 19, in an envelope marked: ‘DO NOT OPEN – FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE APPROPRIATE PERSON’.

Reports may also be submitted via the external reporting system set up by the Ministry of Justice. Detailed information and the submission form can be found on the website: oznamovatel.justice.cz.