<h1>Watchdog: Thousands of corruption prosecutions and appeals overdue, systemic delays hinder investigations; aim to complete probes within one year</h1> As of December 31, 2024, the anti-corruption watchdog reported 7,072 corruption prosecutions investigated by the central agency were pending trial, including 379 pending over 20 years and 2,660 pending more than 10 years; 13,100 appeals and revisions were pending in higher courts, many for over a decade. In 2024 the agency registered 807 cases, completed 1,005 investigations and secured 392 convictions from 644 judgments (conviction rate 69.14%). The report flags systemic delays-excessive workload, inadequate manpower, slow mutual legal assistance, and delayed prosecution sanctions-and reiterates the expectation that investigations be completed within one year where feasible.