Corruption and climate action / Bhutan investigation hurdles / Thailand Corrections department case

World leaders at COP26: urgently shift perspectives to prevent corruption from crippling climate action.  “Transparency International is urging world leaders to bolster transparency, accountability and integrity to ensure effective action against climate crisis…Climate crisis is also a governance challenge, but the need for anti-corruption safeguards has so far been largely absent from climate talks.”

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/press/cop26-shift-perspectives-prevent-corruption-crippling-climate-action#  

 

Corruption: hurdle to change and progress.  “Investigators are already seeing a new challenge as they expose more and more people. If those being investigated use their “networks” to interfere in the investigations, we are not helping ourselves. The [Bhutan Anti-Corruption Commission] had warned that those trying to interfere and “frustrate the investigation will face rigorous examination and will not be spared from legal consequences.” What we need today is cooperation to help strengthen our systems including fixing accountability.”

Kuensel: https://kuenselonline.com/corruption-hurdle-to-change-and-progress/  

 

Prison staff fired for graft, murder offences.  “[Thailand’s] Department of Corrections (DoC) has dismissed 10 officials for serious misconduct including corruption, gross negligence and smuggling forbidden items into prisons…The names of the officials were not given.”

King-oua Laohong: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2210595/prison-staff-fired-for-graft-murder-offences  

Viet Nam business integrity support / China tech company payments abroad / Privatization not for anti-corruption

Aiding business integrity via private sector education (Opinion).  “The [Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s] commitment to promote and strengthen business integrity in Vietnam is specifically mentioned as a positive example of private sector engagement in the latest UNCAC review report…More recently, the VCCI and the UNDP launched the Vietnam Business Integrity Network (VBIN). This is the first private sector collective action initiative committed to fostering a culture of business integrity and anti-corruption compliance in Vietnam.”

Vietnam Investment Review: https://vir.com.vn/aiding-business-integrity-via-private-sector-education-88813.html  

 

Chinese Tech Giant Huawei Had Secret Offshore Contracts With Men Linked to Serbian State Telecom Company.  “A former executive at state telecom company Telekom Srbija likely received over $1 million through an offshore firm in the British Virgin Islands that had contracts with Chinese technology giant Huawei…Although OCCRP has not uncovered evidence that the payments were improper, they were made over a period of time when Huawei was doing business in Serbia.”

Stevan Dojčinović and Vesna Radojević/Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project: https://www.occrp.org/en/the-pandora-papers/chinese-tech-giant-huawei-had-secret-offshore-contracts-with-men-linked-to-serbian-state-telecom-company  

 

Keep the Dogmatic Privatization Argument Out of Style (Blog).  “It is with good reason, then, that the dogmatic application of privatization as an anticorruption solution fell out of fashion. But in some countries, this theory appears to be making a comeback…Privatization may have important benefits, at least sometimes. But selling privatization as an anticorruption solution is one trend from the 1990s that shouldn’t follow wide jeans back into vogue.”

Zachary Meskell/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/10/25/keep-the-dogmatic-privatization-argument-out-of-style/  

Mongolia digitalized land registration / Open Contracting Legislative Guide / Thailand oil conglomerate policy

Mongolia: fully digitalized land registration government services.  “On October 1, 2021, Mongolia introduced an electronic land registration system and fully digitalized land registration government services. This allows citizens and businesses to receive documents related to land possession and use them free of charge, reducing unnecessary permits, queues, and paperwork.”

Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia: https://iaac.mn/news/mongolia-fully-digitalized-land-registration-government-services/  

 

Open Contracting Legislative Guide (Resource).  “This new report provides insights and guidance on how countries have cemented open contracting approaches into their legislation modernizing public procurement, supporting reforms that put transparency, efficiency, and equity at its core.”

Open Contracting Partnership: https://www.open-contracting.org/resources/open-contracting-legislative-guide/  

 

IRPC vows to stamp out corruption.  IRPC Plc, a petrochemical arm of [Thailand’s] national oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc, has announced zero tolerance of corruption, a major hindrance to national economic development and business progress in the private sector.”

Yuthana Praiwan/Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2205243/irpc-vows-to-stamp-out-corruption  

Narrative of anti-corruption failure / Thailand reopening jeopardized / Republic of Korea casino hiring scandal

Guest Post: Contesting the Narrative of Anticorruption Failure (Blog).  “My point here is not to denigrate academics…But still, a certain strain in academic writing about anticorruption efforts disturbs me. This strain overemphasizes and exaggerates failure…My challenge to the world’s finest scholars on corruption is this: spend as much time as you have on analyzing failure on finding out what has worked, and why it worked.”

Robert Barrington/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/10/18/guest-post-contesting-the-narrative-of-anticorruption-failure/#more-19056  

 

Corruption jeopardises reopening plan (Opinion).  “All the Covid-19 debacles have been derived from corruption and dereliction of duty of state officials who turned a blind eye to legal violations by some business operators. Unless the government learns the lessons and truly tackle such malpractice, it will not be possible to keep the coronavirus at bay.”

Chairith Yonpiam/Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2202783/corruption-jeopardises-reopening-plan  

 

Court says Kangwon Land justified in firing 222 staff hired via labor corruption scandal.  “A South Korean Court has ruled that Kangwon Land, the country’s only casino at which locals are allowed to gamble, was justified in dismissing 222 employees...[who] employees had all been beneficiaries of a labor hire scandal which saw Kangwon Land hire more than 500 staff via political and internal connections between November 2012 and April 2013.”

Inside Asian Gaming: https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2021/10/25/court-says-kangwon-land-justified-in-firing-222-staff-hired-via-labor-corruption-scandal/  

UNDP public procurement event / Beneficial ownership and Pandora Papers / Future of OGP and EITI

The Role of Public Procurement in Achieving the SDGs (Virtual Event).  “We are pleased to invite you to the ASEAN Regional Dialogue on The Role of Public Procurement in Achieving the SDGs, which will take place on 27th and 28th October 2021…The Regional Dialogue will bring together government representatives from the region, private sector leaders and civil society representatives interested in learning more about and/or implementing the sustainable public procurement agenda via the SDGs, integrity, and value-for-money lenses.”

UNDP: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VRLV-5hMT4Cer83wZQ4gBA  

 

Pandora Papers: Lessons for beneficial ownership transparency? (Blog).  “Whilst the Pandora Papers confirm the already known problems associated with current business as usual, they also include signs of progress. It is clear that beneficial ownership information is a fundamental piece of data to aid the fight against financial crime, but much work remains to ensure data is accurate and available to those who need it.”

Open Ownership: https://www.openownership.org/blogs/pandora-papers-lessons-for-beneficial-ownership-transparency/  

 

OGP at 10, EITI at 20: Where to next? (Blog).  “[The] differences between the mandates of the two organisations offer longer-term opportunities for shared learning. The [Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s] private sector constituency provides a vital strand in its multi-stakeholder governance structure with growing opportunities to strengthen corporate accountability through participation in the EITI process…[Open Government Partnership’s] goal of promoting a participatory and inclusive vision of democracy offers insights for the EITI, especially in fragile states.”

Mark Robinson/Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative: https://eiti.org/blog/ogp-at-10-eiti-at-20-where-to-next  

World Bank anti-corruption symposium / Connecting anti-corruption and human rights / Proactive Integrity Reviews

Symposium on Data Analytics and Anticorruption (Event).  “A Symposium on Data Analytics and Anticorruption will be co-hosted by the World Bank and the Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management on October 25-28…The papers cover four thematic areas: New data-driven approaches to detecting and measuring corruption; Using new data sources and methods to measure the impacts of corruption; Using open data to assess the effectiveness of anticorruption tools, policies, and interventions; Contributing new knowledge on  data access, quality, and privacy issues.”

World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2021/10/25/symposium-on-data-analytics-and-anticorruption#1  

Thank you to James Anderson, World Bank for sharing this news.

 

Connecting the anti-corruption and human rights agendas: challenges and opportunities for Collective Action (Blog).  “While a majority of participating companies identified potential synergies between the human rights agenda and anti-corruption compliance, it was also generally acknowledged that human rights and corruption are two distinct topics. In other words, they should not (and cannot) be completely merged. Rather, they need to be seen as an overarching compliance and risk topic and thus embedded into risk management processes, but also treated discretely when necessary.”

Vanessa Hans/Basel: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/10/03/political-funding-act-will-differentiate-political-funds-from-graft  

 

Proactive Integrity Reviews: A Preventive Mechanism Against Corruption (Resource).  “This publication provides a better understanding of how proactive integrity reviews (PIRs) help prevent and detect integrity violation indicators (fraud, corruption, collusion, coercion, abuse, conflict of interest, and obstruction).”

Asian Development Bank: https://www.adb.org/publications/proactive-integrity-reviews-mechanism-against-corruption  

Thailand gloves procurement case / Indonesia ministers in Pandora Papers / Mongolia imprisonment sentence implementation

Gloves come off in corruption case.  “The Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) [under the Ministry of Commerce Thailand] has fired three senior officials for alleged corruption in the purchase of 112.5-billion-baht (approx. US$3.3 billio) worth of rubber gloves and ordered them to pay 2 billion baht (approx. US$59 million) compensation in damages.”

Phusadee Arunmas/Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2193591/gloves-come-off-in-corruption-case  

 

Coordinating ministers named in Pandora Papers.  “Two of Indonesia’s coordinating ministers are mentioned in the latest leak of financial documents, dubbed the Pandora Papers, which revealed they had established offshore shellcopmanies in tax havens, allegedly tying them to unreported wealth stored overseas…Among them are Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan and Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto”

Dio Suhenda and Yerica Lai/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2021/10/05/coordinating-ministers-named-in-pandora-papers.html  

 

Mongolia: implementation of imprisonment sentence for corruption crimes.  “According to the report, 203 people were convicted in 95 cases, 26 people were acquitted in 17 cases, 10 cases involving 26 people were dismissed, of which 5 cases were dismissed on the grounds that the statute of limitations had expired...[An] issue mentioned in the study is that the percentage of convicts released before the end of their sentence is relatively high, at 60-80 percent of all convicts of corruption crime in a given year.”

Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia: https://www.iaac.mn/news/mongolia-implementation-of-imprisonment-sentence-for-corruption-crimes/  

UNDP FairBiz newsletter / Open data interactive tool / Extractives industry new diagnostic

UNDP FairBiz in ASEAN Quarterly Newsletter.  Check out UNDP ‘Promoting a Fair Business Environment in ASEAN’ project’s updates such as the project’s extension until March 2022; our work to promite business integrity along supply chains; CoST – the Infrastructure Transparency Initiatives’ two data disclosure portals in Thailand and Indonesia launched under the project, as well as the new collaboration with UK Government Digital Service on digital transformation in Thailand.

UNDP: https://us20.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=b9b75ff1921ce1ba1ffc81cad&id=284c0691f2  

 

Roadmap to fight corruption with open data (Interactive tool).  “The Roadmap to fight corruption with open data provides tools and resources to support users to identify and overcome the political, technical and logistical challenges usually faced in the co-creation and implementation of OD4AC commitments. It includes cases and examples from around the world to serve as sources of inspiration in the process of building new solutions that respond to users’ own needs. It also presents lessons learned by others in similar situations to help them identify opportunities to advance their goal, as well as red flags on potential challenges and risks to be considered.”

Global Integrity, Open Data Charter, and partners: https://fightcorruption.opendatacharter.net/  

 

A New Tool in the Fight Against Corruption in the Extractive Industries (Blog).  “NRGI released the first version of Diagnosing Corruption in the Extractive Sector: A Tool for Research and Action. By sharing this diagnostic tool, we aim to support a range of stakeholders to take evidence-based action to improve integrity in a sector highly prone to corruption.”

Alexandra Gillies, Sebastian Sahla, and Matthieu Salomon/Natural Resource Governance Institute: https://resourcegovernance.org/blog/new-tool-fight-against-corruption-extractive-industries

 

India companies fraud detection / Why anti-corruption programs fail / China financial firms scrutiny

Indian firms ahead of peers in fraud detection.  “Companies in India have bolstered their defences against bribery and corruption risk, and around 81% respondents believe that sufficient board-level attention and investment is given to bribery and corruption risk, well above the global average (72%), according to Global Fraud and Risk Report by Kroll, which provides services and digital products related to valuation, governance, risk and transparency.”

Livemint: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-inc-lead-global-peers-in-use-of-data-analytics-to-identify-bribery-report-11631611784301.html  

 

Three Reasons Anti-Corruption Programs Fail (Blog).  “In my new book Controlling Corruption: The Social Contract Approach, I argue that this huge policy failure can be explained by three main factors. First, and most importantly, the principal-agent theory that has dominated anti-corruption efforts from the World Bank to development organizations represents a serious misspecification of the basic nature of the problem…[Secondly,] the corruption problem has been poorly conceptualized since what should count as the opposite of corruption has been excluded from the discussion…[Thirdly,] corruption has been located in the wrong social spaces. It is neither a cultural nor a legal problem.”

Bo Ruthstein/Tufts University: https://www.corruptionjusticeandlegitimacy.org/post/three-reasons-anti-corruption-programs-fail  

   

China steps up anti-corruption drive as Evergrande crisis puts spotlight on financial risk.  “China’s top anti-corruption official will launch a nationwide audit of major financial firms and regulators to eliminate risk in the sector, following debt crises at state-owned financial conglomerate Huarong and private property developer China Evergrande.”

Frank Tang/South China Morning Post: https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3150305/china-steps-anti-corruption-drive-evergrande-crisis-puts  

Mongolia public information law / Afghanistan ex-president corruption / Thailand police corruption story

Mongolia: law on public information.  “State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs Mr. Baasandorj gave a brief interview regarding the Law on Public Information. Current Law on Information Transparency and the Right to Access Information is being revised into the Law on Public Information.”

Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia: https://www.iaac.mn/news/mongolia-law-on-public-information/  

 

The Corruption of the Afghan Presidency.  “[Afghanistan’s former president, Ashraf Ghani], during his nearly seven years in power, found ways to enrich his brother, his brother-in-law, and other members of his inner circle. This April, I co-authored a two-year-long investigation, published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, that revealed the Afghan president’s office had approved unique extralegal rights for the subsidiary of an American military contractor to purchase, process, and sell the metal chromite from local Afghan mines.”

Zack Kopplin/The American Prospect: https://prospect.org/world/corruption-of-the-afghan-presidency-ashraf-ghani/  

 

'Joe Ferrari' case lifts lid on police corruption.  “A flashy cop with a taste for fast cars falls from grace following the leak of spine-chilling footage of a brutal interrogation gone wrong. Not the plot of a blockbuster thriller, but the vivid reality of a story that has gripped the country in recent weeks and spotlighted police corruption that experts say infects almost every level of society in the kingdom.”

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2185971/joe-ferrari-case-lifts-lid-on-police-corruption

Fixing public procurement systems / Malaysia KPMG settlement / China overseas corruption case

Fixing public procurement systems with transparency, accountability, and integrity mechanisms (Blog).  “Certainly, this period of economic slow-down is also an opportune moment for governments to utilize public procurement as a strategic instrument to uplift development. Hence, investing in open, transparent, and agile public procurement systems is synonymous with investing in building resilient societies post the pandemic.”

Diana Torres and Sapna Dubey/UNDP: https://www1.undp.org/content/fairbiz/en/home/blog/fixing-public-procurement-systems-with-transparency--accountabil.html

 

Malaysia says auditor KPMG to pay $80 million in 1MDB settlement.  Malaysia said on Thursday audit firm KPMG has agreed to pay a 333 million ringgit ($80.11 million) settlement to resolve all claims related to their fiduciary duties on auditing of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) accounts from 2010 to 2012.”

Liz Lee/Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/malaysia-says-auditor-kpmg-pay-80-million-1mdb-settlement-2021-09-16/  

   

Corruption in Chinese infrastructure projects in Sudan: Report.  “[Fu Hong Construction, a] Chinese construction firm working in Sudan reportedly earned millions of dollars by inflating the cost and paying kickbacks as quid pro quo, a media report said.”

ANI News: https://www.aninews.in/news/world/others/corruption-in-chinese-infrastructure-projects-in-sudan-report20210919115829/  

World Bank doing business report / Thailand deputy PM case disclosure / Myanmar Suu Kyi trial date

Bad for business: World Bank China rigging scandal rattles investors.  “Some investors and campaigners expressed dismay on Friday at revelations that World Bank leaders pressured staff to boost China's score in an influential report that ranks countries on how easy it is to do business there… "There have been wide divergences between some countries corruption ranking(s) and the ease of doing business scores, which implies that these were only face-value improvements rather than reflecting underlying economic change," [Charles Robertson, chief economist at Renaissance Capital] said.”

Tom Arnold and Marc Jones/Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/bad-business-world-bank-china-rigging-scandal-rattles-investors-2021-09-17/   

 

NACC told to release watch scandal details.  “The [Thai] National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) will study the details of the Central Administrative Court's order that the agency disclose a probe into a luxury watch controversy involving Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon… NACC deputy secretary- general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol said the agency has 30 days to appeal against the order.”

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2183031/nacc-told-to-release-watch-scandal-details     

 

Myanmar sets October 1 for Aung San Suu Kyi corruption trial.  “Deposed civilian leader’s supporters say charges against her are politically motivated and an attempt to discredit her. A trial of…Aung San Suu Kyi on corruption charges is set to begin on October 1, a member of her legal team has said.”

Aljazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/17/myanmar-court-sets-oct-1-for-suu-kyi-corruption-trial  

Open Contracting Quickstart Guide / China Supervisors Law / Indonesia KPK suspended staff

Open Contracting Quickstart Guide (Resource).  “In this guide, you’ll find 15 practical strategies within four sections covering core aspects of public procurement reform.”

Open Contracting Partnership: https://www.open-contracting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/OCP21-Quickstart-English.pdf  

 

China continues to strengthen its anti-corruption campaign in relation to public servants (Blog).  “The Supervisors Law of the People’s Republic of China (“Supervisors Law“) was recently promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on 20 August 2021. Together with other legislation and enforcement activities, the Supervisors Law aims to strengthen President Xi’s anti-corruption campaign and is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2022.”

Simon Hui, Henry Chen and Zhengwei Yang/Global Compliance News: https://www.globalcompliancenews.com/2021/09/14/china-continues-to-strengthen-its-anti-corruption-campaign-in-relation-to-public-servants080921/  

 

All legal means closed, Jokowi last hope for suspended KPK staff.  “The fate of scores of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees who were suspended after failing a controversial civics test lies with [Indonesia’s] President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, now that all other legal means [including the Supreme Court’s recent ruling] to restore their employment have been exhausted.”

A. Muh.Ibnu Aqil/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2021/09/14/all-legal-means-closed-jokowi-last-hope-for-suspended-kpk-staff.html  

Viet Nam and Indonesia illegal animal trade / Malaysia anti-corruption demands / China watchdog on big tech

Civil society’s role in disrupting the illegal trade of endangered animals and environmental commodities in Vietnam and Indonesia (Report).  “Transnational crime syndicates have formed complex and adaptive networks that pose steep challenges for law enforcement, while bribery and corruption have undermined the state response… This new report and digital story…highlights civil society’s multifaceted role in disrupting the illegal trade of endangered animals and environmental commodities in Vietnam and Indonesia.”

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime: https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/change-agents/  

 

#RasuahBusters unveil six anti-corruption demands to the govt.  “The demands were for the implementation of and full support for [Malaysia’s] National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP), acceleration of the tabling and implementation of a political funding law, assurance of institutional freedom and independence for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Attorney General’s Chamber (AGC), the enactment of a recall law to deal with party-hopping and the implementation of Undi18 and parliamentary reforms.”

Allison Lai/The Star: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/09/12/rasuahbusters-unveil-six-anti-corruption-demands-to-the-govt  

 

China antitrust: Anti-corruption watchdog says negative impact on Big Tech will be short-lived.  “The CCDI, usually tasked with anti-corruption crackdowns but also tackles other illegal and unethical wrongdoings, reiterated Beijing’s determination to fight monopolies in the online platform economy.”

Coco Feng/South China Morning Post: https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3148462/china-antitrust-anti-corruption-watchdog-says-negative-impact-big-tech  

Afghanistan security sector corruption / Public beneficial ownership register / Pakistan food controller scandal

Corruption and Self-Dealing in Afghanistan and Other U.S.-Backed Security Sectors (Commentary).  “The Afghan security forces’ gradual and then sudden collapse is a cautionary tale about other U.S. efforts worldwide to bolster foreign security sectors that are hamstrung by corrosive and endemic corruption.”

Jodi Vittori/Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/09/09/corruption-and-self-dealing-in-afghanistan-and-other-u.s.-backed-security-sectors-pub-85303  

 

Out in the open: how public beneficial ownership registers advance anti-corruption.  “Information about the real individuals behind companies is critical for everything from a fair tax system to stopping corruption and wildlife trafficking. The advantages of having beneficial ownership information easily available to authorities as well as to the public are so abundantly clear, that neither anti-corruption professionals nor the wider public can make sense of the slow pace of improvements in this area.”

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/news/how-public-beneficial-ownership-registers-advance-anti-corruption  

 

Food controller fined Rs297 million in corruption case.  “The investigation into the massive embezzlement in the food department revealed that the accused Assistant Food Controller Shakkar Khan, as in charge PRC center Quetta [city in Pakistan], embezzled millions of rupees in purchase and sales of thousands of government wheat bags.”

Mohammad Zafar/The Express Tribune: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2319629/food-controller-fined-rs297-million-in-corruption-case  

Strategic marketing for tackling social norms / China targetting bribers / Tender Defender board game

Walking the Talk: Resources on Tackling Social Norms with Strategic Marketing and Communication Campaigns (Blog).  “[Social and behavior change communications] typically use normative messages to 1) convince people that behavior advocated in a campaign is already the norm; 2) correct misperceptions about prevalence and support for behavior; or 3) attach social stigma to unhealthy behaviors…The following shortlist of notable resources is a result of a grey literature review conducted in Spring 2021, which identified 34 documents, of which 20 directly provided insight into overarching social norms communications strategies.”

Malavika Krishnan/Tufts University: https://sites.tufts.edu/ihs/walking-the-talk-resources-on-tackling-social-norms-with-strategic-marketing-and-communication-campaigns/  

 

China’s corruption busters signal they plan to make bribe givers pay.  “China’s anti-corruption bodies and law enforcement organs have said they are exploring measures to get tougher on people who give bribes – not just officials who take them – and build a blacklist of suspected bribers.”

William Zheng/South China Morning Post: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3148047/chinas-corruption-busters-signal-they-plan-make-bribe-givers  

 

Tender Defender – Cards on the Table! (Board game).  “Tender Defender is a board game that helps civil society groups, journalists, activists, and others learn about public procurement and identify corruption risks that may arise. Through the eyes of a company director or a procurement department officer, players become better aware of just how important it is to uphold transparency and accountability in the public contracting process. They also gain a better understanding of ways to fight corruption. Anyone can play the game: just download it and print it out.”

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/integrity-pacts-game

Philippines inter-agency taskforce / Thailand police reform / China judicial corruption

Anti-graft council created amid probe on state corruption.  "The [Philippine] Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC)…formed a new inter-agency task force to bring its campaign against graft and corruption to the lowest level of the government, as the administration faces questions over allegedly anomalous deals. More than 40 agencies under the Executive branch signed a memorandum of agreement to form the National Anti-Corruption Coordinating Council, which will institutionalize anti-corruption committees (ACCs) in all levels of government."

Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza/Business World: https://www.bworldonline.com/anti-graft-council-created-amid-probe-on-state-corruption/  

 

Opinion: Why police reform hasn't come to Thailand (Opinion).  "In Nakhon Sawan province, a 24-year old man arrested for selling methamphetamine pills suffocated to death as corrupt Thai police officers attempted to extort a bribe of two million baht for his release…Police reform is a tired subject because somehow, attempts have failed or not lived up to their billing. Second, police association with corruption, cronyism, and failure are well known and their brutal history extends much deeper than the death of Jeerapong Thanapat."

Mark S. Cogan/Thai Enquirer: https://www.thaienquirer.com/32115/opinion-why-police-reform-hasnt-come-to-thailand/  

 

Corruption in China: ex-judges and prosecutors caught breaking rules on conflicts of interest.  "Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the country's top law enforcement agency, last week, was told that 7,640 former judges and prosecutors who have left their posts since 2012 have continued to practise law. Of these, some 2,044 – or nearly 30 per cent – had violated the rules that ban them from working on cases related to their former roles, with 101 acting as "judicial brokers" – a term applied to those who use their connections to help people bribe judges.

Guo Rui/South China Morning Post: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3147592/corruption-china-ex-judges-and-prosecutors-caught-breaking  

Why fight COVID-19 corruption / Mongolia civil servants ethics law / Philippines presidential implications

Why fighting corruption matters in times of COVID-19.  “With the release of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2020, we looked at how corruption undermines states’ capacity to respond to emergencies such as the dual health and economic crises brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our analysis highlights that: [corruption] diverts funds from essential services…[a lack of transparency…weakens the efficiency of crisis responses; [countries] that perform poorly in controlling corruption tend to breach human rights and democratic norms in their management of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Jon Vrushi and Roberto Martínez B. Kukutschka/Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2020-research-analysis-why-fighting-corruption-matters-in-times-of-covid-19 

 

Mongolia: law on civil servants’ ethics.  “If the draft Law on Ethics and Discipline of Civil Servants is adopted, it will be the first law in our country to legislate ethical norms. In addition, special committees and sub-committees in charge of civil servants' ethics will be established, and the entire civil service will have a comprehensive structure.”

Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia: https://www.iaac.mn/news/mongolia-law-on-civil-servants-ethics/

 

Will Corruption Bring Down the Philippines’ Duterte Government? (Opinion).  “Duterte is aware of the political impact of the corruption probe, which is why he is constantly ridiculing [the Commision On Audit], the Senate, and the political opposition. He knows that a corruption case involving billions of pesos has the potential to spark widespread discontent that could lead to his ouster,”

Mong Palatino/The Diplomat: https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/will-corruption-bring-down-the-philippines-duterte-government/

Indonesia ex-minister COVID graft / Law enforcement integrity webinar / Mongolia specialized anti-corruption court

Ex-Indonesian minister jailed for 12 years in Covid-19 graft scandal.  “Former Indonesian social affairs minister Juliari Batubara has been sentenced to 12 years in prison over a multi-million dollar Covid-19 graft scandal…after receiving 32.4 billion rupiah ($2.25 million) in kickbacks in relation to the procurement of goods intended for Covid-19 social assistance packages.”

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2169863/ex-indonesian-minister-jailed-for-12-years-in-covid-19-graft-scandal  

 

Strengthening Law Enforcement Integrity (Webinar).  The Webinar on Tuesday 31 August 13:30-16:15 (GMT+7) is jointly organized by the American Bar Association and the UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. It will  gather practitionres from the region and experts to discuss the most pernivious and common forms of corruption in policing and will provide a framework and evidence-based research for risk mitigation strategies.

UNODC: https://sites.google.com/view/law-enforcement-integrity  

 

Mongolia: specialized anti-corruption court for corruption crimes should be established.  “The Standing Committee on Legal Affairs was instructed to study the establishment of a court to deal exclusively with corruption cases and, if necessary, to work expeditiously to create a legal environment.” said Mr. Zandanshatar [Chairman of the Parliament].”

Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia: https://www.iaac.mn/news/mongolia-specialized-anti-corruption-court-for-corruption-crimes-should-be-established/   

Malaysia fair business for SMEs / Philippines COVID funds question / Thailand anti-corruption campaign backlash

Promoting a Fair Business Environment in Malaysia (Blog).  “After engaging with key public sector institutions over the last few years on strengthening national anti-corruption measures in Malaysia, UNDP’s approach now establishes efforts to enhance business integrity in the private sector. Working with SMEs helps to ensure a rigorous approach in addressing graft and creating a fair business environment in the country, as they contribute to the dynamism of the Malaysian economy.”

Ashvinder Singh/UNDP: https://www.my.undp.org/content/malaysia/en/home/blog/2021/promoting-a-fair-business-environment-in-malaysia.html

 

Duterte faces fire for missing Covid-19 funds.  “Amid the sickness, death and economic collapse, a recent report by the Commission on Audit (COA), a constitutionally independent body, claimed up to 67.32 billion pesos ($1.3 billion) of Covid-19 management and relief funds were either unspent or underutilized… According to the COA, there were also huge budgetary discrepancies and anomalies under the departments of education, information communications technology, overseas workers welfare administration and others.”

Jason Castaneda/Asia Times: https://asiatimes.com/2021/08/duterte-faces-fire-for-missing-covid-19-funds/  

 

Govt's 'speak up' against graft push ill-timed (Opinion).  “Part of the reason why the "speak up" campaign is seen as "fake" is because it seems to present itself as a bold move when there is nothing bold about it at all…In this time and age when people take to social media every day to question basically every deal that government agencies are involved with -- from regulating the prices of surgical masks to Covid-19 vaccines to antigen test kits -- what has been done about them?”

Atiya Achakulwisut/Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2170227/govts-speak-up-against-graft-push-ill-timed  

SME business integrity / Afghanistan conflict and corruption / Emerging technologies for judicial integrity

Business Integrity in Small and Medium Enterprises (Webinar).  This webinar on Wednesday 25 August, 13:00-16:00 (GMT+7) provides an opportunity for business integrity stakeholders to share innovations, resources, signs of progress, and future directions related to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia, with a focus on the management of corruption risks and third-party due diligence, which are high priorities of the private business sector. The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative will also be launching the Practical Guide to Corruption Risk Assessment for Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) to help organisations promote integrity and responsible business conduct.”

Ethixbase: https://ethixbase.com/webinar-business-integrity-in-smes-risk-assessment-and-corruption-prevention    

 

Conflict and corruption: Case of Afghanistan, lesson for Nepal (Commentary).  “The history of corruption has taught us one lesson: If it is the corruption that can prop up a regime then it is again the corruption that could lead to its swift downfall.”

Narayan Manandhar/Nepal Live Today: https://www.nepallivetoday.com/2021/08/22/conflict-and-corruption-case-of-afghanistan-lesson-for-nepal/  

 

Release of research into Emerging Technologies impact on Judicial Integrity (Virtual event).  “The Judicial Integrity Network ASEAN has surveyed judges in the region and conducted research into the implications of new technologies on judicial integrity and court excellence…On September 21st we will share the research results and invite feedback on the tools. You can provide feedback on these tools in a strategic foresight workshop as part of the launch event”

United Nations Development Programme: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/jin-asean-emerging-technologies-research-launch-tickets-167126171879                        

Constitutionalizing Anticorruption Commissions / Stopping vaccine corruption / Mongolia land registry service digitalization

A Cautious Challenge to Constitutionalizing Anticorruption Commissions (Blog).  “While some, such as those in Hong Kong and Singapore, have effectively executed their mandate to investigate and prosecute instances of graft, bribery, and other forms of corruption, others ACCs have been criticized as toothless, inefficient, or themselves corrupt…The evidence is murky and inconclusive, but there are some reasons to doubt whether constitutionalization can overcome the obstacles that have limited the effectiveness of ACCs in the past.”

Brooke Davies/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/08/09/a-cautious-challenge-to-constitutionalizing-anticorruption-commissions/  

 

How to stop vaccine corruption, which is plaguing the global fight against COVID-19 (Opinion).  “A wave of vaccine corruption scandals have shaken the global COVID-19 vaccine rollout... Global partnership is critical to uprooting this corruption. At the same time, local governments, businesses, and whistleblowers can work together to crack down on black markets.”

Muhammad Jawad Noon/Fortune: https://fortune.com/2021/08/14/covid-vaccine-corruption-distribution-rollout/  

 

Mongolia: elimination of red tape in land registry government services.  “Last week, most of the complaints received through the Government Public Relations Center Hotline were related to the Capital city and District Land Registry offices…It has been decided to fully digitize land registry services, the main goals are to provide citizens with information related to land possession, and ownership through an online website, and to introduce the electronic land registry system to the public.”

Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia: https://www.iaac.mn/news/mongolia-elimination-of-red-tape-in-land-registry-government-services/  

Mongolia bribes recovery / Indonesians attitude on corruption and environment / History lessons from French Viet Nam

Mongolia: USD 224 thousand recovered during the investigation.  “Investigators from the [Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia] have transferred large sums of bribes seized during criminal investigations [of N. Bayarsaikhan, who received a large amount of bribes from citizens and business entities during his tenure as head of the division of the Specialized Inspection Agency] to the state treasury account of the Ministry of Finance.”

Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia: https://www.iaac.mn/news/mongolia-usd-224-thousand-recovered-during-the-investigation?lang=en   

 

Indonesians’ attitudes to corruption and the environment – results of new survey released on 18 August.  To gain a better insight into what the Indonesian public thinks about this issue and others relevant to corruption, governance and natural resources, the Basel Institute on Governance and Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI), the leading Indonesian pollster, jointly conducted polls and interviews during July 2021. A virtual event on 18 August will present the study’s findings.”

Basel Institute on Governance: https://baselgovernance.org/news/indonesians-attitudes-corruption-and-environment-results-new-survey-released-18-august  

 

Nation-Building and Corruption: A Warning from French Vietnam (Blog).  “In attempting to build this new country, however, French leaders turned a blind eye to a corruption scheme—the so-called “Piastres Affair”—that would gravely weaken this enterprise… Much as unchecked corruption in French Indochina led to French taxpayers footing the bill for their enemy, reports have shown that corrupt Pakistani officials have taken American aid to Pakistan and funneled large chunks of the aid to the Taliban in Afghanistan.”

Michael Glanzel/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/07/30/nation-building-and-corruption-a-warning-from-french-vietnam/  

Olympics' possible anti-corruption legacy / Republic of Korea Samsung bribery sentence / China social media executive fired

Can the Olympics leave an anti-corruption legacy? (Blog).  “[We] may one day be able to say that a country is better governed in relation to human rights and anti-corruption because it hosted the Olympics or FIFA World Cup…[For example, an] organizing committee (the local host-city/country entity that oversees preparations) requires all third parties to adopt anti-corruption compliance and human rights due diligence, even if local law does not so require.”

Andy Spalding/The FCPA Blog: https://fcpablog.com/2021/08/09/can-the-olympics-leave-an-anti-corruption-legacy/  

 

Samsung boss to be freed from jail after bribery sentence.  “The billionaire boss of South Korea’s Samsung empire will be freed from jail on Friday after serving part of a 30-month sentence for bribing former South Korea president Park Geun-hye.”

Rupert Neate/The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/aug/09/samsung-boss-to-be-freed-from-jail-after-bribery-sentence  

 

Sina Weibo kicks out executive in charge of public relations for taking bribes.  “Mao Taotao, former senior public relations director at Sina Weibo, one of the most popular social media platforms in China, was fired and blocked from future employment, as he was detained by police on suspicion of accepting bribes and committing fraud, Sina said in a statement”

Global Times: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/1231061.shtml