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An Independent Office of the National Government of the Republic of Palau

Report Government Corruption

How the Office of the Special Prosecutor Relates to the Public:

Public policy. The OSP’s ultimate goal is to improve the quality of governance and law enforcement in Palau through the effective enforcement of corruption, public ethics, and economic crimes.  The OSP is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of governmental accountability—both in the exercise of the functions of the OSP as a government office and as an institution dedicated to serving the Palauan public.

It is the general policy of the OSP to accept, document, review, and investigate all complaints of alleged governmental misconduct brought to the OSP.  The Special Prosecutors Act mandates that the OSP receive complaints, and in no way limits from what source the OSP may accept those complaints.  The OSP takes this mandate seriously. While frequently the OSP receives information about investigations from other government agencies and branches, the OSP also receives and encourages public complaints concerning suspected violations of law, especially complaints of governmental abuse.

Evaluation and Prosecution Process. The OSP pursues each and every complaint of an alleged wrong received by the OSP in the following manner:

  • Review each complaint to make sure it falls within the jurisdiction of the OSP.If the complaint does not fall within the OSP jurisdiction,
    • The complaint is forwarded to the appropriate office that has jurisdiction; or,
    • The complaint is sent back to the complainant with an explanation that the complaint is not a matter the OSP may prosecute; however, it may be appropriate for discussion with a private attorney for possible further action.
  • If the complaint falls within the jurisdiction of the OSP, it is fully investigated by the OSP investigators and forwarded to the OSP attorneys for a final decision and a determination of charges and prosecution, if appropriate.
  • Regardless of how the OSP handles the complaint, the OSP will keep non-anonymous complainants informed of the status of the complaint throughout the pendency of the matter.

Confidentiality, Whistleblowers, and Anonymous Complaints:

Confidentiality.  The OSP recognizes the exceptionally serious nature of exposing criminal conduct to authorities, especially in the context of corruption. The OSP keeps all information and intelligence provided to it in strict confidence until such time a public case is filed.  If the OSP makes the determination to move forward with an enforcement action, which requires the details of a complaint to become public, the OSP will always contact individuals who have submitted reports to inform them in advance and discuss the consequence of this public enforcement action.

Whistleblower Protections. The OSP aggressivelyprotects good-faith complainants of government misconduct, including witnesses, from adverse consequences that may result from their cooperation with the OSP.  The community of Palau deserves the right to make a complaint to an independent governmental enforcement office about misconduct without fear of retribution, loss or diminishment of public employment, or other illegitimate adverse consequences.  In addition to enforcing witness protection laws, the OSP will continue to advocate for enhanced whistleblower protections under law to foster a culture of openness and transparency in government.

Anonymous Complaints.  The OSP accepts complaints from anonymous sources.  Such anonymous complaints can be made on this website or by email, mail, or personal delivery to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (see the Contact Us page for further details).  However, the OSP recommends that reporting individuals consider identifying themselves to the OSP.  This will help the OSP continue to engage in contact with those individuals, ensure the complaint is fully understood and fully investigated, and help identify potential restitution outcomes for victims of wrongdoing.  In many cases, it may be difficult for the OSP to continue to investigate a complaint without further details from a complainant. The matter will be kept confidential until the OSP files the case in court, at which time the matter becomes public and subject to discovery rules.