Whistleblowing
Whistleblowing means acting in good faith to report information about a possible violation that could harm the public interest, provided that this information was obtained in the course of one’s professional duties and there are reasonable grounds to believe it is true.
A whistleblower, as defined by the Whistleblowing Law, is a natural person who provides information about a possible violation that is occurring, being planned, or has occurred, and which may harm the public interest, provided that the person considers this information to be true and obtained in the course of performing work duties or through legal relationships related to the performance of work duties. It is in the public interest to raise the alarm, for example, regarding the waste of financial resources or property, corruption, risks to public health, environmental or construction safety, occupational safety, and other areas.
A whistleblower is not a legal entity or a person who reports a violation anonymously or using a pseudonym.
Whistleblowing is not an action whose primary motive is a personal grievance, personal disagreement, or the pursuit of any personal benefit, including material gain.
The Whistleblowing Law provides several protection guarantees for whistleblowers, including a prohibition on inflicting adverse consequences as a result of whistleblowing (dismissal, disciplinary action, demotion, etc.), protection of the whistleblower’s identity, and state-provided legal assistance.
Where to report a possible violation?
A whistleblower report can be filed in two ways—by contacting the employer (internal reporting) or a competent authority. The second paragraph of Article 4 of the Whistleblowing Law also specifies the circumstances under which a report may be made by disclosing information publicly. A whistleblower contact point, an association or foundation, a trade union or their association can also be used to raise an alarm.
A competent authority is considered to be an institution that has the relevant authority and the rights arising from the law to verify the accuracy of the information provided in the whistleblower’s report and to take action against violators, either by initiating an investigation/inquiry or by carrying out other control measures to detect, prevent, and punish violations.
Submit a whistleblower report to LBTU Malnava College:
1. Please use the whistleblower report form and send it via email to: trauksme@malnavaskoledza.lv ,
2. In paper form, by mail (address: Kļavu iela 17, Malnava, Malnavas pagasts, Ludzas novads, LV-5750, Latvia),
3. A whistleblower report may be submitted in person (by prior appointment; by calling +371 65 73 31 00). A valid identity document, passport or identity card (eID), must be brought with you when submitting a whistleblower report in person or verbally.
If, upon reviewing the whistleblower’s report, it is determined that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of another institution, the whistleblower’s report (using secure communication channels) will be forwarded to the competent authority’s whistleblower contact person, and the whistleblower will be informed of this.