The bill gives USKOK full authority over all criminal acts involving organised crime and corruption, including bribery, abuse of office, and conspiracy to commit criminal acts.
The bill also binds bodies of state authority and legal persons to report to USKOK cases of corruption and organised crime.
The bill envisages the establishment of a department for international cooperation and joint investigations in the discovery and prosecution of corruption and organised crime.
An exception has been introduced in the procedure of questioning of citizens by the police, making it possible to question the investigator as a witness about his interview with the suspect if there is a danger that he may not speak about it in court.
It is also recommended that USKOK, once it obtains information that the suspect has a bank account with funds acquired through suspicious transactions, can request information on the account from the bank. If the bank refuses to provide such information, it may be penalised.
The government-sponsored bill was supported by all parties.
Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) called on the government to ensure more funds for USKOK and make the Ministry of the Interior change its attitude towards the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor and USKOK by becoming their service instead of obstructing their work.
The Party of Rights (HSP) expressed dissatisfaction with USKOK's work, criticising it for failure to bring about any concrete verdicts in major cases of corruption and crime.