IACC starts today / Malaysia false claims / Maldives whistleblower protection

The 19^th International Anti-Corruption Conference starts today.  IACC 2020 will run from 30 November to 5 December, featuring more than 500 expert speakers from diverse fields such as journalism, business, arts, and activism. There are over 100 workshops and 6 plenary sessions, see the full agenda and register via the link below to join the sessions for free!

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/news/the-iacc-goes-virtual-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-19th-international-anti-corruption-conference

 

Ex-CEO of glove company slapped with RM145 mil false claims, CBT charges.  “Ex-CEO of glove company slapped with RM145 mil (approx. US$ 35.6 mil) false claims, [Criminal Breach of Trust] charges… Lee Song Hon, who was previously with WRP Asia Pacific Bhd, was charged with three counts of submitting false claims amounting to RM8.4 million (approx. US$ 2 mil), through false invoices in the name of Tower Success Group Ltd.”

Ho Kit Yen/Free Malaysia Today: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/11/24/ex-ceo-of-glove-company-slapped-with-rm147-mil-false-claims-cbt-charges/   

 

Making the Maldives safer for whistleblowers (Blog).  “A whistleblower revealed a huge corruption scheme, helping to bring down an authoritarian government and paving the way for the Maldives’ first whistleblower protection law.”

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/making-the-maldives-safer-for-whistleblowers

UNDP workshops at IACC / Managing conflicts of interest / Global Corruption Barometer - Asia

UNDP workshops at the 19^th International Anti-Corruption Conference.  Please see the flyer in the link below for more details on the timing of UNDP’s workshops at the IACC next week. Topics range from the next generation of anti-corruption priorities, to lessons learned from Republic of Korea on effective strategies and innovative partnerships, digitalization for anti-corruption, as well as youth as game changers in the Pacific.

UNDP: https://anti-corruption.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDP-Flyer-19th-IACC-Workshops.pdf

 

Addressing corruption risks in the age of COVID-19: Preventing and managing conflicts of interest in the public sector (Blog).  “The World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have joined forces to produce a Good Practices Guide on Preventing and Managing Conflicts of Interest in the Public Sector. This Guide has been developed at the request of and with inputs from the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, drawing on experiences from G20 countries and beyond to illustrate good practices and innovations.”

Ed Olowo-okere, János Bertók, and Brigitte Strobel-Shaw/World Bank: https://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/addressing-corruption-risks-age-covid-19-preventing-and-managing-conflicts-interest

 

Corruption remains a major problem in Asia, damaging trust in government, survey finds (Press Release/Report).  “The report, Global Corruption Barometer – Asia, finds that three-quarters of respondents believe that government corruption is a big problem in their country, with nearly one in five people (19 per cent) paying a bribe when accessing public services in the previous year. This is equivalent to about 836 million people.”

Direct link to the report: https://www.transparency.org/en/gcb/asia/asia-2020

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/press/corruption-remains-a-major-problem-in-asia-damaging-trust-in-government-survey-finds  

Asia war on drugs / Republic of Korea chaebol reform / Bangladesh electricity sector

Why Asia is losing its war on drugs (Opinion).  “The winners are well-organized professional crime cartels with global reach that continue to diversify and expand their operations while corrupting and undermining any official capacity for serious response.”

Anthony Davis/Asia Times: https://asiatimes.com/2020/11/blind-eyes-and-payoffs-fuel-asias-drug-boom/

 

South Korea’s Moment for Chaebol Reform is Now (Blog).  “[Chaebols are] the massive, dynastically controlled business conglomerates that are the cornerstones of the South Korean economy]…routinely implicated in scandal after scandal…First, President Moon should push for updating South Korea’s sentencing codes to remove the loopholes that judges can deplay at their discretion…Second, [he] should make clear his opposition to giving chaebols…special treatment…Third, [he] ought to encourage all government figures…to keep their distance from chaebol executives”

Jaylia Yan/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/11/16/south-koreas-moment-for-chaebol-reform-is-now/

 

Addressing collusive contracting in Bangladesh’s electricity (Blog).  “we find two instruments that significantly reduce generation prices in the private power sector: concessional finance providing financing at below market rates directly to power investors, and risk guarantees protecting investors from losses caused by non-commercial risks such as breach of contract, regulatory changes and political violence…both attract competition – they lower political risk, reduce the cost of investing, and are available to all investors interested in a project, irrespective of their connections.”

Mitchell Watkins and Mushtaq Khan/SOAS-ACE: https://ace.soas.ac.uk/addressing-collusive-contracting-electricity-bangladesh/   

Thailand constitution amendments / Malaysia governance recommendations / Eradicating corrupt enablers

Anti-graft measures ‘must be retained’.  “Mana Nimitmongkol, secretary-general of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT), has called for rigorous anti-graft measures in the current constitution to be retained in any future charter amendments.”

Mongkol Bangprapa/Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2023127/anti-graft-measures-must-be-retained

 

Anti-corruption committee discusses recommendations to improve governance and integrity.  “The Special Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption…has agreed on several recommendations to improve governance and integrity, as well as to combat graft, in [Malaysia]… "This includes making the [Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission] Report Feedback Status Monitoring and the [Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission] report as a permanent agenda in national, state or department-level Anti-Corruption Committee meetings."”

Hana Naz Harun/New Straits Times: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/11/642644/anti-corruption-committee-discusses-recommendations-improve-governance

 

Three Measures to Put Corruption Enablers Out of Business (Blog).  “To create an offshore vehicle, the official will turn to someone with expertise in creating offshore entities and disguising their ownership: a lawyer, accountant or other professional who knows corporate and trust law and how to use it to hide the owner’s identity. The anticorruption community has dubbed these intermediaries “enablers,”…1. Make all enablers subject to the anti-money laundering laws…2. Make asset hiding a serious crime…3. Deny professional privilege protection to investment transations”

Richard Messick/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/11/18/time-to-crack-down-on-lawyers-accountants-and-other-corruption-enablers/

Malaysia systemic corruption / Indonesia forestry cases / Indonesia corrupt networks

Anti-graft group worried over systemic corruption among civil servants.  “Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) has voiced concern over the systemic corruption among civil servants following the crippling of an immigration syndicate which involved Immigration Department officers.”

Free Malaysia Today: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/11/18/anti-graft-group-worried-over-systemic-corruption-among-civil-servants/

 

Tackling forestry corruption in Indonesia (Resource).  “In collaboration with the [Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)], the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre undertook a systematic analysis of the KPK’s case verdicts related to forestry sector corruption in order to gain insights for the agency’s prosecution and prevention strategy…Based on what it has requested in its indictments, the KPK can be considered relatively successful.”

Sofie Arjon Schutte and Laode M. Syarif/U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre: https://www.u4.no/publications/tackling-forestry-corruption-in-indonesia

 

Corrupt networks in the Indonesian forestry sector (Resource). “The [Social Network Analysis] case study of Pelalawan [in Indonesia] illustrates how corrupt networks reflect the wider organisation of political and economic power within a society and a sector. Analysing a corrupt network in this context is a first step towards understanding its resilience as well as the potential pathways for disrupting its activities.”

Jacqui Baker/U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre: https://www.u4.no/publications/corrupt-networks-in-the-indonesian-forestry-sector

International Anti-Corruption Conference agenda / Indonesia whistleblower student / Digitalization against corruption

Agenda for 19^th International Anti-Corruption Conference now available.  “The 19th International Anti-Corruption Conference has announced its line-up of workshops, plenaries, awards and film screenings, under the theme Designing 2030: Trust, Truth and Transparency. The world’s largest independent forum for anti-corruption will be held online for the first time, free and open to all, and is hosted by the Republic of Korea from 30 November to 5 December 2020”

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/press/agenda-for-19th-international-anti-corruption-conference-now-available  

 

University student suspended after reporting rector over alleged graft.  “Semarang State University (Unnes) in Central Java has suspended a student for six months after he reported the university’s rector to the [Indonesian] Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)…claiming he had found irregularities in the university’s budget”

A Muh Ibnu Aqil/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/11/18/university-student-suspended-after-reporting-rector-over-alleged-graft.html

 

Digitalization against Corruption – Webinar on the Role of Data Analytics in Preventing Corruption & Fraud in Southeast Asia.  “The webinar [on Wednesday 25 November, at 14:00-17:20 (GMT+7)] aims to increase awareness about policy and operational next steps that Member States can take in order to enhance transparency through the use of data analytics.” Register via the event page below.

UNODC: https://sites.google.com/view/data-against-corruption/home

Global oversight systems / Malaysia projects corruption increase / India CBI ex-directors

All Hands on Deck: Harnessing accountability through external public audits (Report).  “In this report, we examine the strength of the audit and oversight systems across the world and provide guidance to various stakeholders on how to tackle identified weaknesses…On a global scale, the data indicate a weak performance on oversight. The average score for the 117 countries surveyed is only 37 out of 100.”

International Budget Partnership: https://www.internationalbudget.org/publications/all-hands-on-deck-harnessing-accountability-through-external-public-audits/

 

MACC chief wans spectre of corruption, power abuse looms large on the horizon.  “Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki said that the anti-graft body is expecting an increase in corrupt practices and power abuse in Malaysia in the coming years. He said this is due to the vulnerable and complex environment that Malaysia currently finds itself in,”

Ashman Adam/Malay Mail: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/11/17/macc-chief-warns-spectre-of-corruption-power-abuse-looms-large-on-the-horiz/1923324  

 

CBI probing its ex-directors for corruption is violation of natural justice, says court.  “[India’s Central Bureau ofo Investigation is] investigating its own former directors in a corruption case is a “violation of principles of natural justice”…Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal demanded to know why the CBI had conducted no investigation in over four years since the case was lodged.”

The Print: https://theprint.in/judiciary/cbi-probing-its-ex-directors-for-corruption-is-violation-of-natural-justice-says-court/546316/  

Bangladesh COVID response / Bangladesh governance challenge / Thailand ex-tourism minister

Stealing from the poor (Opinion).  “The government had set aside Tk 1,250 crore (approx. US$ 148 mil) to give Tk 2,500 each [US$30] to 50 lakh [5 million] hardest-hit victims. According to [Transparency International-Bangladesh's] latest survey report, 69 percent of the surveyed listed poor are yet to receive a single taka even after six months had elapsed. For those who received money, 56 percent were victims of irregularities and corruption.”

Mahfuz Anam/The Daily Star: https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/the-third-view/news/stealing-the-poor-1994053

 

Governance Challenges in Tackling Corona Virus (Part II) (Report).  Transparency International Bangladesh released a comprehensive review of governance challenges in the country’s response to COVID-19, from lack of disclosure of purchase information, irregularities and corruption in the health sector, to lack of medical waste management.

Note: Part I (from June 2020) can be found here: https://www.ti-bangladesh.org/beta3/images/2020/report/covid-19/Covid-Resp-Track-ES-Eng-15062020.pdf

Transparency International Bangladesh: https://www.ti-bangladesh.org/beta3/images/2020/report/covid-19/Covid_Res_Tracking2_ES_Eng.pdf

 

Former tourism chief gets 50 years in jail for bribery.  “Juthamas Siriwan, 73, was found guilty by the lower courts of up to 11 charges, including collusion, malfeasance, and bribery…[after] decades of court saga that saw involvement from the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department…[She] demanded 1.8 million U.S. dollars from an American film producer couple, Gerald and Patricia Green, in exchange for a contract to organize the annual Bangkok International Film Festival from 2002 to 2007.”

Khaosod English: https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/11/16/former-tourism-chief-gets-50-years-in-jail-for-bribery/

Thailand infrastructure transparency / Sustainable public procurement / Grand corruption and democracy

How Thailand is cutting infrastructure costs with transparency.  “The more public participation, the more transparency there is, [Pattaraporn Vorasaph, Deputy Director of Thailand’s Comptroller General’s Department] says. “We can reduce corruption because we publish everything that the public wants to know, and they can audit for us.” Citizens can also call or email the team if they find something wrong or suspicious.”

Shirley Tay: https://govinsider.asia/smart-gov/comptroller-generals-department-pattaraporn-vorasoph-how-thailand-is-cutting-infrastructure-costs-with-transparency/

 

Waking the Trillion-Dollar Giant: Sustainable Public Procurement and the 2030 SDG Agenda (Resource).  “Is it reasonable to expect companies inside China to comply with foreign laws that can’t be enforced against them? The [U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Office of Foreign Assets Control] trade sanctions, anti-money laundering rules, and so on?...”

Carsten Hansen/Green Growth Knowledge Platform: https://greengrowthknowledge.org/research/waking-trillion-dollar-giant-sustainable-public-procurement-and-2030-sdg-agenda

 

How Grand Corruption Threatens Liberal Democratic Institutions (Blog).  “First, unchecked grand corruption within a democratic system can lead to a loss of citizen confidence in liberal democracy…Second, a regime with an anti-democratic/anti-liberal agenda can use corrupt means to subvert checks and balances…Third, a corrupt administration may be especially reluctant to cede power, both because the administration’s leaders and cronies will lose their illicit revenue streams,”

Matthew Stephenson/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/11/12/how-grand-corruption-threatens-liberal-democratic-institutions/

Vaccinating against corruption / India power concentration / Afghanistan anti-corruption efforts

Vaccinating against corruption? (Blog).  “At the [TI] Health Initiative we see the need for civil society to engage with governments in the planning and monitoring of distribution… We are also looking at how we can work with governments and those distributing vaccines to ensure that supply chains have corruption safeguards in place, and to ensure that systems are in place to actively monitor the implementation of the framework and vaccine rollout.”

Jonathan Cushing/Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/vaccinating-against-corruption

 

 

‘Modi’s Rockefeller’: Gautam Adani and the concentration of power in India.  “Critics say his rise is symbolic of a system where too much power is in the hands of too few. When the Indian government approved the privatisation of six airports in 2018, it relaxed the rules to widen the pool of competition, allowing companies without any experience in the sector to bid. There was one clear winner from the rule change: Gautam Adani, the billionaire industrialist with no history of running airports, scooped up all six.”

Stephanie Findlay and Hudson Lockett/Financial Times: https://on.ft.com/2IAfkmO  

 

 

EU stresses on more anti-corruption efforts by Afghan govt.  “[EU] Ambassador von Brandt highlighted the need for a strong regulatory framework, including by developing a robust new Anti-Corruption Strategy, which President Ghani confirmed will be done, through an inclusive process based on lessons learned from the past.”

Outlook Afghanistan: http://outlookafghanistan.net/national_detail.php?post_id=27893   

Malaysia 2021 budget / Myanmar transparency for economy / China overseas extradition

More transparency needed in budget expenditure, says Ong.  “[Malaysian] MP Ong Kian Ming has called for more transparency in the 2021 budget, stating that the record-setting RM69 billion in development expenditure included funding for unspecified projects. “For example, the allocation for ‘special projects’ under the Prime Minister’s Department has increased from RM100 million in 2020 to RM1 billion in 2021,” he said.”

Free Malaysia Today: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/11/09/more-transparency-needed-in-budget-expenditure-says-ong/

 

More value-add, transparency needed for Myanmar economy (Opinion).  “There is still some corruption left in the system and this should be reduced much further under the new government. But the flaw is the lack of standard operating procedure and transparency in the system, which encourages corruption.” U Aung Ko Ko [local economist] said”

Chan Mya Htwe/Myanmar Times: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/more-value-add-transparency-needed-myanmar-economy.html   

 

China’s ‘corruption’ dragnet widens worldwide.  “Amid COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing caught 799 fugitives under ‘Sky Net 2020’ operation…China’s top disciplinary watchdog Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said Beijing established 169 extradition treaties and mutual legal assistance treaties with 81 countries as of November.”

Riyaz ul Khaliq/Anadolu Agency: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/china-s-corruption-dragnet-widens-worldwide/2039988   

ASEAN ESG webinar / ASEAN ESG future / Foreign bribery reparations

[TODAY] High-level Virtual Panel: “The Future of ESG Investing in ASEAN” | ASEAN Business Investment Summit 2020.  ESG investing is not just about shareholder returns; it is about helping companies become more resilient and investing in a fairer, cleaner, healthier and more equitable society. Join the discussion at 10:35-12:15 (GMT+7) to find out more!

Register here to join the panel: https://abis2020.vn/en/register.asp   

 

Future of socially responsible investing in SE Asia (Opinion).  “In Europe, assets in sustainable investment products are forecast to grow from 15% to 57% of their overall fund size by 2025. With a young population, burgeoning middle class, and growing economic clout, Southeast Asia can and must set a similarly high bar to attract, retain and deploy [Environmental, Social and Governance] investments.”

Kanni Wignaraja/Asia Times: https://asiatimes.com/2020/11/future-of-socially-responsible-investing-in-se-asia/  

 

Foreign bribery and money laundering: it’s time for reparation! (Blog).  “As an alternative, countries that investigate foreign bribery cases should establish a specific reparation mechanism for the benefit of citizens of countries where the corrupt practices occurred.”

Sophie Lemaître/U4 Anti0Corruption Resource Centre: https://medium.com/u4-anti-corruption-resource-centre/foreign-bribery-and-money-laundering-its-time-for-reparation-1dcf8c7bec5d

Indonesia-UK foreign probe / Infrastructure transparency resource / Viet Nam F1 scandal

KPK to help UK’s antigraft agency in probe into Bombardier-Garuda graft case.  “[Indonesia’s] Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is set to help the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) probe corruption allegedly committed by Canada-based airplane manufacturer Bombardier Inc in a deal with national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia. The agency had long forged collaborations with foreign legal authorities through agent to agent or mutual legal assistance (MLA) schemes”

Alya Nurbaiti/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/11/07/kpk-to-help-uks-antigraft-agency-in-probe-into-bombardier-garuda-graft-case.html  

 

The need for CoST: Strengthening economies and improving lives (Resource).  “…increasing infrastructure transparency, participation, and accountability helps to drive reforms that reduce mismanagement, inefficiency and corruption. Applying this approach results in cost savings of magnitude, helping to deliver better-quality infrastructure for millions.”

CoST the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative: http://infrastructuretransparency.org/resource/the-need-for-cost-strengthening-economies-and-improving-lives/

 

Vietnam's F1 debut in doubt after scandal.  “Vietnam's inaugural Formula One Grand Prix "might not happen" next year…as a report said it had been dropped from the 2021 calendar…after Nguyen Duc Chung, who was Hanoi's mayor and a major supporter of the grand prix, was arrested on corruption charges in August.”

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/sports/2017279/vietnams-f1-debut-in-doubt-after-scandal   

Emergency procurement insights / Thailand fraud survey / World Bank debars project contractor in Myanmar

Insights into emergency procurement: experiences from 12 countries (Blog/Report).  “[The] findings, from new research on emergency procurement in 12 countries, illustrate how governments, civil society, and development organizations around the world are struggling to ensure that the COVID-19 emergency response spending is being used effectively, efficiently and accountably… Many of the researchers also discovered serious issues with the quality, timeliness, and completeness in the published data.”

Direct link to the report: https://www.open-contracting.org/resources/action-research-lessons-covid19/

Lindsey Marchessault and Camila Salazar/Open Contracting Partnership: https://www.open-contracting.org/2020/10/29/insights-into-emergency-procurement-experiences-from-12-countries/  

 

PwC’s Thailand Economic Crime and Fraud Survey 2020 (Report).  “This year’s survey shows a drop in reported incidents from 2018...[but still,] 33% of Thai companies were affected by fraud, corruption or other economic crimes during the last two years.”

PwC: https://www.pwc.com/th/en/consulting/forensic/economic-crime-and-fraud-in-thailand.html  

 

World Bank Group Debars Berky GmbH (Statement).  “The World Bank Group…announced the two-year and six-month debarment of Berky GmbH, a Germany-based company that specializes in water maintenance machines, in connection with collusive, fraudulent, and corrupt practices under the Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management Project in Myanmar”

World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/11/04/world-bank-group-debars-berky-gmbh

ASEAN ESG investing / Indonesia influencer appointment / Beneficial ownership and development

High-level Virtual Panel: “The Future of ESG Investing in ASEAN” | ASEAN Business Investment Summit 2020.  How much impact is ESG investing currently having in ASEAN? And what more needs to be done to speed up and scale up the impact? Join the discussion on Friday, 13th November 2020 at 10:35-12:15 Indochina Time to learn more from distinguished speakers from leading investment companies including Aberdeen Standard (Singapore), Sintesa Group (Indonesia), Premier Group (Thailand) and Patamar Capital (Viet Nam).

Register here:https://abis2020.vn/en/register.asp

 

Another social media supporter in Jokowi’s campaign named state enterprise commissioner.  “The [Indonesian] government has named social media influencer Kristia Budiyarto an independent commissioner for state-owned ferry operator PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Pelni), marking yet another avid supporter of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo being appointed to a position in a state-owned enterprise (SOE).”

Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/11/03/another-social-media-supporter-in-jokowis-campaign-named-state-enterprise-commissioner.html    

 

Hiding in plain sight: Ending the corrupt abuse of anonymous corporate structures is a development imperative (Blog).  “The development imperative of stemming the abuse of corporate structures to hide dirty money is clear: a lack of transparency of beneficial owners of corporate structures contributes to global economic inequalities and enables the theft of valuable public resources from developing countries.”

Alexandra Habershon and Solvej Krause/World Bank: https://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/hiding-plain-sight-ending-corrupt-abuse-anonymous-corporate-structures-development  

Philippines new taskforce / Pakistan NAB conviction / Investigative journalists threatened

Analysts: Philippine President Talks Big but Underperforms in Combating Graft (Opinion).  “Last week, the president announced that he would devote the last two years of his six-year term to purging government of graft, as he ordered the formation of a task force to go after dirty officials…[But the] creation of the new task force seems superfluous because an Office of the Ombudsman already exists for such a mission, but the move is likely intended to further boost Duterte’s image as a strongman and law and order president, analysts say.”

Aie Balagtas See/Benar News: https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/Duterte-corruption-11032020155421.html

 

‘NAB believes in ‘accountability for all’ to end corruption’.  “[Pakistan] National Accountability Bureau Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal…said due to vigorous prosecution, NAB’s conviction ratio is about 68.8 per cent which is one of the best conviction rates compared to other anti-corruption organisations.”

The News: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/737887-nab-believes-in-accountability-for-all-to-end-corruption

 

Most Financial Crime and Corruption Journalists Face Threats (Blog).  “Most journalists who took part in a [global] survey conducted by the Foreign Policy Center said they were threatened or harassed while investigating financial crime or corruption… Overall, the survey found that 70% of respondents felt they had self-censored to some degree as a result of the risks and threats they faced.” Note: Only 10% of these respondents are from Asia.

Eli Moskowitz/Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project: https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13347-report-most-financial-crime-and-corruption-journalists-face-threats

Compliance book review / Iran insulin corruption / Philippines budget allocation

Review of Gemma Aiolfi’s Anticorruption Compliance for Small and Mid-Sized Organizations (Blog/Book review).  “If there is one point I wish Aiolfi had stressed, it would be the appointment of the compliance officer.  Too many times when a company decides to establish a program, it turns to an outsider to head it, often someone from the “compliance industry.” While this can work, much better is to hire from within, someone who understands the company’s operations and, more importantly, is respected and trusted by fellow employees.”

Richard Messick/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/10/28/review-of-gemma-aiolifis-anticorruption-compliance-for-small-and-mid-sized-organizations/

 

Iranian diabetic patients dig for vital medicines amid corruption.  “The plight of Iranian diabetic patients has entered the public sphere as a shortage of vital insulin pens threatens their lives, a crisis authorities blame on US sanctions. The patients, however, link it to domestic corruption…Hoarding and stockpiling vital medicines for profiteering by powerful groups connected to higher authorities remains a tough challenge for Iranian patients coping with some diseases.”

Al-Monitor: https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/10/iran-diabetic-patients-medicine-shortages-corruption.html  

 

Power of purse can ease graft, lawmaker insists.  “[House appropriation committee chair Eric Go Yap] clarified that he never said he would “zero” the budget of agencies found to be prone to corruption or led by individuals who have been found to be corrupt. But the House of Representatives can use its power of the purse to redirect funds away from the hands of corrupt officials,”

Julie M. Aurelio/Inquirer.net: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1354880/power-of-purse-can-ease-graft-lawmaker-insists    

Indonesia new regulation / Pakistan PFM project / Myanmar health governance

New regulation clarifies KPK supervision of police, AGO.  “The regulation, signed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo…details how the [Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission] KPK is to monitor and review the progress of investigations conducted by the [National Police and the Attorney General’s Office]. It was issued as an implementing regulation of the 2019 KPK Law, which grants the commission the power to supervise and take over cases but does not explain how it will do so.”

Galih Gumelar and Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2020/11/01/new-regulation-clarifies-kpk-supervision-of-police-ago.html  

 

World Bank supports stronger PFM and digital services in Punjab.  “Public finance management reforms in the Pakistani state of Punjab have been boosted by $304m of World Bank financing…“the programme will help the provincial government expand its existing citizen feedback model and accelerate the use of technology for revenue mobilisation and public procurement,” said Akmal Minallah, task team leader for the programme.”

Calum Rutter/Public Finance Focus: https://www.publicfinancefocus.org/pfm-news/2020/10/world-bank-supports-stronger-pfm-and-digital-services-punjab  

 

Health system governance in strengthening International Health Regulations (IHR) compliance in Myanmar (Abstract/Journal Article).  “We consider governance (SDG 16) and how it influences the IHR capacity of SDG 3 (health and well-being for all at all ages)…Nurturing an institutional culture with enforced rules, which are conducive for improved accountability through inclusive participation would further improve Myanmar IHR strengthening efforts.”

Pyone T, Aung TT, Endericks T, et al/BMJ Global Health: https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/health-system-governance-strengthening-international-health-regulations-ihr

Potential vaccine corruption / Malaysia Transport Ministry plan / Barriers to accountability

Corruption and the COVID-19 Vaccine: The Looming Problem of Distribution (Blog).  “Fortunately, there are a number of familiar steps that might be taken to reduce the risks and effects of corruption in the COVID-19 vaccine distribution process. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) authored a report in 2011 describing tools and best practices to combat corruption in health, including specific recommendations for distributing drugs and equipment supplies.”

Direct link to the UNDP report: https://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/Democratic%20Governance/IP/Anticorruption%20Methods%20and%20Tools%20in%20Health%20Lo%20Res%20final.pdf  

Zachary Meskell/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/10/26/corruption-and-the-covid-19-vaccine-the-looming-problem-of-distribution/

 

Transport Ministry unveils anti-graft blueprint.  “[The Malaysian] Transport Ministry (MoT) has launched its Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan (OACP) 2020-2025 which consists of 82 initiatives relating to procurement, law enforcement, financial management, and administrative best practices.”

Malay Mail: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/10/30/transport-ministry-unveils-anti-graft-blueprint/1917956  

 

Overcoming barriers that limit accountability of public spending (Blog).  “Too often, [Supreme Audit Institutions] suffer from deficiencies that are compounded by weak legislative oversight, inadequate responsiveness from executives to reports, and few opportunities for public engagement in the audit and oversight process. These challenges preceded the pandemic and are likely to be exacerbated by the crisis.”

Vivek Ramkumar, Ed Olowo-Okere, and Martin Aldcroft/World Bank: https://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/overcoming-barriers-limit-accountability-public-spending   

Exporting corruption to Bangladesh / Lessons from Goldman Sachs / IMF corruption "macro-criticality"

Exporting corruption report: A timely alert for Bangladesh (Blog).  “[Bangladesh’s] leading foreign trade partners are among those it categorized as dismally failing to enforce committed action against foreign bribery…[it] stands to lose the most by turning a blind eye to its commercial partners’ corrupt practices.”  

Iftekhar Zaman/Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/exporting-corruption-report-a-timely-alert-for-bangladesh  

Goldman Sachs’ involvement in 1MDB scandal is a warning for financial sector (Opinion).  “For starters, the cooperation between banks and governments must have principles and bottom lines, and should be conducted in compliance with laws and regulations…Secondly, a financial institution must adhere to the principles it claims…Thirdly, the internal control of a financial company is the lifeblood of the company, and it must not become just an embellishment.”

Wang Yanhang/Global Times: https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1205100.shtml

Macro-Criticality: The International Monetary Fund’s Black Box (Blog).  “Recognizing that there can be a porous boundary between [macro-]economic and political matters, the IMF developed the concept of “macro-criticality.”… Nevertheless, confusion persists…Anticorruption advocates should pressure the IMF to live up to its promises by seeking clarity on how the IMF specifically considers anticorruption as a procedural matter.”

Clay Hackney/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/10/30/macro-criticality-the-international-monetary-funds-black-box/