Sierra Leone - Europe - Nigeria

Sierra Leone: Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Manager Reaffirms Commitment to Battle Corruption. Through a Non-Conviction Based Asset Recovery Model, she argues the commission has seen laudable gains in recovering huge sums of misappropriated funds. Corruption prevention strides through radical public education and effective systems and processes review, according to her. 

 

All Africa: https://allafrica.com/stories/202301240251.html  

 

European Parliament votes to expand proposed rules targeting shell companies after Pandora Papers highlighted their role in tax evasion. Negotiations remain ongoing for final adoption of the "Unshell" directive, while tax justice activists say it may be too "weak" to effectively stop tax abuses.  

 

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ): https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/european-parliament-votes-to-expand-proposed-rules-targeting-shell-companies-after-pandora-papers-highlighted-their-role-in-tax-evasion/  

 

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAuGF) are to intensify cooperation in the fight against economic and financial crimes, including corruption. EFCC Chairman acknowledged the shared mandate of both agencies in promoting public accountability and transparency. 

 

EFCC Nigeria: https://www.efcc.gov.ng/efcc/news-and-information/news-release/8814-efcc-oaugf-to-collaborate-in-fight-against-corruption  

Global - India - Monaco

Match-fixing in handball: A reminder of the need for a World Anti-Corruption Agency. Referees in the current handball world championship for men are suspected of match fixing. But the revelations also point to an even bigger problem: there is no agency to fight all corruption in sport. 

 

Play the game: https://www.playthegame.org/news/match-fixing-in-handball-a-reminder-of-the-need-for-a-world-anti-corruption-agency/  

 

 

Last 8 years witnessed determined effort to tackle corruption in India. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief said that "…the use of technology has helped immensely. Transparency, accountability, and centrality of citizens have become the hallmark of today's governance of India." 

 

Hindustan Times: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/last-8-years-witnessed-determined-effort-to-tackle-corruption-says-cbichief-101674480079178.html  

 

 

Monaco's anti-money laundering system inadequate, risks name-and-shame. A council of Europe report highlights key vulnerability in Monaco's measures against money laundering and the country risks being placed under intense scrutiny. "In most cases, fraud is committed abroad, while the proceeds of crime are laundered in Monaco." 

 

EURACTIV: https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/monacos-anti-money-laundering-system-inadequate-risks-name-and-shame/  

Canada - Ghana - Iraq

Transparency International's Criticism of Canada's Anti-Bribery and Corruption Enforcement. Canada has been subject to ongoing criticism by NGOs, OECD and others for lagging behind peer countries regarding its commitment to anti-bribery and corruption enforcement. 

 

FASKEN: https://www.fasken.com/en/knowledge/2023/01/transparency-internationals-criticism-of-canadas-anti-bribery-and-corruption-enforcement  

 

 

Persistent corruption in the maritime sector hindering trade and development. The deputy director-general of Finance & Administration at the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) said corruption in the maritime industry will persist due to the nature of the shipping industry. 

 

Graphic: https://www.graphic.com.gh/business/business-news/persistent-corruption-in-maritime-sector-hindering-trade-development.html  

 

 

Iraqi PM Discusses anti-corruption measures with judiciary. "The rule of law should prevail in all circumstances and that the government demonstrates that Iraq is a country governed by the constitution and the law". 

 

Asharq Al-Awsat: https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4114191/iraqi-pm-discusses-anti-corruption-measures-judiciary  

Ukraine - Bulgaria - Nigeria

Prioritizing the Rule of Law: Ukraine must stay on course. It is no secret that Ukraine has struggled with corruption, a problem dating to the cold decades of Soviet rule. This, and wider failures in the rule of law, have seriously hindered Ukraine's ability to develop. 

 

CEPA: https://cepa.org/article/prioritizing-the-rule-of-law-ukraine-must-stay-the-course/  

 

 

Absence of ethics controls for top Bulgarian government officials and police. Council of Europe's Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) calls for more transparency concerning the conditions for government officials and are concerned with the effectiveness of the criminal justice response to corruption. 

 

Sofia Globe: https://sofiaglobe.com/2023/01/19/coe-anti-corruption-body-absence-of-ethics-controls-for-top-bulgarian-government-officials-police/  

 

 

Corruption responsible for insecurity, says Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Commission (ICPC) chair. Said corruption impedes national development and the flow of foreign direct investment but expressed the belief that the war against corruption is steadily making progress with the collective commitment stakeholders in the country. 

 

PUNCH NG: https://punchng.com/corruption-responsible-for-insecurity-says-icpc-chair/  

Africa - Malaysia - Albania

Africa's economic growth to outpace global forecasts in 2023-2024. African Development Bank's new report calls for bold policy actions to help African economies mitigate compounding risks. One of which being "Accelerating structural reforms to build tax administration capacity and investments in digitalization and e-governance to enhance transparency, reduce illicit financial flows, and scale up domestic resource mobilization. 

 

AfDB: https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/africas-economic-growth-outpace-global-forecast-2023-2024-african-development-bank-biannual-report-58293 

 

More effective checks and balances needed: PM should back civil servants with adequate reforms. Malaysia's prime minister recently commented on the excess expenditure of public funds by the previous government and urged public officials to act as checks and balances in preventing corruption and wastages of public funds.  

 

Aliran: https://aliran.com/civil-society-voices/more-effective-checks-and-balances-needed-pm-should-back-civil-servants-with-adequate-reforms 

 

 

Anti-Corruption Fight must be national Priority; Democrat. Member of Parliament argues that the fight against corruption should become a national priority in Albania. 

 

Albanian Daily News: https://albaniandailynews.com/news/anti-corruption-fight-must-be-national-priority-democrat  

Yemen - Uganda - Global

Combating Corruption, Funds Prosecution Recover Billions of Riyals to State Treasury in 2022. Sana'a-based Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption, Oversight and Anti-Corruption Agencies, issued its first annual report on the level of implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2022-2026. In its first year, the authority received more than 2000 notifications and preventative measures, as part of the vision to build the modern Yemeni State. 

 

Al Khabar Al Yemeni: https://alkhabaralyemeni.net/2023/01/17/205591/  

 

Unmasking the secrecy behind shell companies. Beneficial owners' information helps to know the ultimate owners behind a certain investment or transaction; thus fighting financial secrecy. This is important for Uganda's fight against illicit financial flows, money laundering, tax evasion and corruption. 

 

Monitor Uganda: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/business/prosper/unmasking-the-secrecy-behind-shell-companies-4088804  

 

[Media Advisory] TI's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) to be published on January 31^st, 2023. Transparency International will release its 28^th annual CPI Tuesday January 31^st at 06:01 CET (00.01 EST). 

 

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/press/media-advisory-corruption-perceptions-index-published-31-january-2023  

Switzerland – The Bahamas – South Africa

Green corruption – a planetary crime fought from Basel. The environmental crisis has raised the profile of green corruption (corruption or financial crime that causes harm to the environment and biodiversity) on the global agenda, as corruption has long undermined conservation efforts. 

 

Swissinfo: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/green-corruption---a-planetary-crime-fought-from-basel/48189556  

 

[Essay] The hidden history of the world's top offshore cryptocurrency tourist resort. The Bahamas represents how global capitalism can go very right, and very wrong, at exactly the same time. "Tax havens and offshore financial centers are a reaction to the fiscal and regulatory demands of the 20^th century." 

 

Foreign Policy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/01/15/the-hidden-history-of-the-worlds-top-offshore-cryptocurrency-tourist-trap/  

 

Corporate taxes to feature at World Economic Forum. A pertinent issue for South Africa is the acceleration of reforms that will make it compulsory for multinationals to live up to their tax obligations. "The lack of transparency in the banking sector has allowed for multinational companies to evade tax".  

 

Sunday World: https://sundayworld.co.za/business/corporate-taxes-to-feature-at-davos/  

Nigeria – Poland – The U.S.A.

Buhari's renowned anti-corruption posture brought about Judicial reforms. Adherence to the tenets of the rule of law, deepening democratic governance practices and strengthening institutional reforms across law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies were part of the cardinal policies at the core of Nigeria's administration. 

 

The Guardian Nigeria: https://guardian.ng/news/buharis-renowned-anti-corruption-posture-brought-about-judicial-reforms-malami/  

 

Poland's fight against foreign bribery has stalled and needs urgent action. Despite having an active Central Anti-Corruption Bureau, this has been highlighted by OECD working group on Bribery since 2007. It now highlights a set of recommendations for the country. 

 

OECD: https://www.oecd.org/daf/anti-bribery/polands-fight-against-foreign-bribery-has-stalled-and-needs-urgent-action.htm  

 

Treasury announces timeline for new rule cracking down on money laundering through US real estate. In an encouraging signal of anti-corruption progress to come in 2023, the Treasury department announced its intention to release a draft rule of targeting money laundering through US real estate markets in April. 

 

The Fact Coalition: https://thefactcoalition.org/treasury-announces-timeline-for-new-rule-cracking-down-on-money-laundering-through-us-real-estate/  

Zambia - China - Europe

IMF says corruption has inflated costs of high-profile projects in Zambia. "Enormous financial resources invested in infrastructure projects, such as road construction, provided avenues for corruption, especially in the award of tenders, where political connections allowed members of the elite to bend the rules and access to lucrative contracts" 

 

Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/imf-says-corruption-has-inflated-costs-high-profile-projects-zambia-2023-01-10/  

 

XI Jinping asks his officials not to collude with business groups amid battle with the economy. During an anti-corruption supervision meeting, the Chinese president stressed that despite the government's efforts to improve the economy, the crackdown on the private sector will remain a concern for investors, to avoid the infiltration of capitalists into politics. 

 

Republic World: https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/china/xi-jinping-asks-his-officials-not-to-collude-with-business-groups-amid-battle-with-economy-articleshow.html  

 

EU Parliament to present 14-point anti-corruption reform. The European Parliament is set to unveil proposals to crack down on corruption. President Roberta Metsola presented Thursday (12^th of January) an anti-corruption package in the hope of preventing a repeat of the ongoing bribery scandal.  

 

EU Observer: https://euobserver.com/eu-political/156594  

The U.S.A. - The Philippines - Nepal

United States will host the 10^th Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in Atlanta, Georgia. The 10^th Conference of the State Parties (COSP) of the UNCAC will be held December 11^th-15^th 2023. It will convene 189 states parties to the UNCAC, as well as a variety of civil society stakeholders during the 20^th anniversary of the UNCAC. 

 

U.S. Department of State: https://www.state.gov/united-states-will-host-the-10th-conference-of-the-states-parties-to-the-un-convention-against-corruption-in-atlanta-georgia/  

 

Lifestyle checks part of review of Philippine National Police (PNP) officials who file courtesy resignations. According to the website of the Office of the Ombudsman, a lifestyle check is an "investigation strategy developed by anti-corruption agencies to determine the existence of ill-gotten gains and unexplained wealth". The aim of the effort is to remove those in the PNP ranks with links to illegal drugs. 

 

PhilStar Global: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/10/2236686/lifestyle-checks-part-review-pnp-officials-who-file-courtesy-resignations  

 

 

Norwegian Ambassador to Nepal: Transparency and good governance are important foundations for development. Ambassador Torun Dramdal said that if everything goes according to plan, Nepal will graduate from the group of least developed countries in 2026 and then become a middle-income country. 

 

The Annapurna Express: https://theannapurnaexpress.com/news/torun-dramdal-transparency-and-good-governance-are-important-foundations-for-development-36817  

Lithuania - Vietnam - Global

Lithuania's anti-corruption watchdog received over 7,700 tip-offs in 2022. Lithuania's Special Investigation Service (STT) received 4,729 reports of corruption in 2022. 30% of the STT's pre-trial investigations were opened based on citizen reports. The majority of which were in health, environment, governance, and justice. 

 

Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT): https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1862469/lithuania-s-anti-corruption-watchdog-received-over-4-700-tip-offs-in-2022  

 

How Vietnam's Anti-Corruption Fight Keeps Expanding. As Southeast-Asia's fastest growing economy, the country only ranks 87^th out of 180 countries in TI's Corruption Perceptions Index. In the realization that corruption could put its legitimacy with the public at risk, the country has much to gain economically if it can bolster its image as a place to do business.  

 

Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/how-vietnams-anti-corruption-fight-keeps-expanding/2023/01/10/1606e0c6-90df-11ed-90f8-53661ac5d9b9_story.html  

 

  

[Report] More than two-thirds of financial institutions lost over $500K to fraud in 2022. "Fraud is the highest it's ever been.", "Rapid digitalization and an influx of cash from pandemic relief scams have created the perfect conditions for fraudsters to thrive…" says CEO of Alloy, which on January 9^th released a report on fraud in financial institutions. 

 

Cision PR Newswire: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/more-than-two-thirds-of-financial-institutions-lost-over-500k-to-fraud-in-2022-alloy-report-finds-301715626.html  

Bangladesh - India - Pakistan

[Opinion] Anti-Corruption Commission must revoke secretary empowerment decision. In December 2022, the ACC of Bangladesh redesigned its delegation of administrative and financial powers, empowering the commissions' secretary with more discretion. TI Bangladesh calls for the withdrawal of the decision.  

 

New Age: https://www.newagebd.net/article/191180/acc-must-revoke-secretary-empowerment-decision 

 

Punjab Vigilance arrested 172 in 129 bribery cases in 2022. The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has set a record in registration of bribery cases, arrests of accused corruption and registration of criminal cases and arrests made. "Chief Minister's Anti-Corruption Action Line" was launched in March 2022 and received more than 300.000 complaints. 

 

Indian Express: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-vigilance-arrested-172-in-129-bribery-cases-in-2022-8369265/ 

 

The Corruption Irrelevance. Without robust systems and institutions, corruption remains deeply rooted in Pakistan's state and society. The overdose of corruption narrative without tangible efforts to fight the menace appears to have made the issue rather irrelevant.  

 

Dawn: https://www.dawn.com/news/1730716 

Madagascar - Vietnam - South Korea

[Brief] The gold sector in Madagascar: at the heart of illicit practices. In Madagascar, illicit practices such as corruption and money laundering are increasing at all levels of the gold mining chain. What are the causes behind this poor governance? 

 

U4: https://www.u4.no/publications/the-gold-sector-in-madagascar-at-the-heart-of-illicit-practices  

 

Research and propose models of specialized anti-corruption agencies and units. The central committee for Internal Affairs advised to issue "regulations on controlling power to prevent and combat corruption and negativity in investigation, prosecution, adjudication and judgement enforcement activities" in a nationwide online conference in Hanoi. 

 

Vietnam Post English: https://vietnam.postsen.com/local/228182/Research-and-propose-models-of-specialized-anti-corruption-agencies-and-units.html  

 

Itaewon, Sewol and the promise of "never again": Compliance, speaking up and complex remediation in the realm of public safety*. In the anti-corruption compliance field, when internal investigations and subsequent root cause analyses are conducted, identifying each critical point of failure that led to the undesired or improper conduct is of the essence. 

 

International Bar Association: https://www.ibanet.org/Itaewon-sewol-and-the-promise-of-never-again  

The UK - Sri Lanka - Global

7 Issues that will affect supply chains in 2023. The last year has been challenging for supply chains, with 2023 set for similar pressures and a raft of new legalization to boot. Public procurement, safety act reforms, corruption and more. 

 

New Civil Engineer: https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/7-issues-that-will-affect-supply-chains-in-2023-05-01-2023/?tkn=1 

 

 

[Opinion] Mega Corruption Everywhere – Real Action Nowhere. Sri Lanka has a multiplicity of non-correlated statutes with responsibility of enforcement by several agencies whereby not withstanding all the good intentions, the menace of corruption has become worse.U 

 

The Island: https://island.lk/mega-corruption-everywhere-real-action-nowhere/ 

 

 

[Report] The Practitioner's Guide to Global Investigations (7^th edition). Not all countries have regimes for the criminal liability of companies, but for those jurisdictions that do, it typically rests on the premise that the acts of certain employees can be attributed to the corporation. 

 

Global Investigations Review (GRI): https://globalinvestigationsreview.com/guide/the-practitioners-guide-global-investigations/2023/article/introduction 

Global - South Korea - India

Joining Forces. Analysts speak of a global "democratic recession" as authoritarian forms of government become more prevalent. This is concerning news for anti-corruption activists. 

 

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/joining-forces 

 

A positive perception of integrity and fairness has spread across society. The perception of corruption in South Korea improved among every survey participant compared to last year. 

 

ACRC: https://www.acrc.go.kr/board.es?mid=a20301000000&bid=62&list_no=43507&act=view  

 

E-Governance Prospects and Problems. E-Governance promotes development and application of information and communication technology for sustainable development facilitates collaboration, but it is resource intensive, and attention needs to be made to the "digital divide". 

 

Daily Excelsior: https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/e-governance-prospects-and-problems/  

Global - South Korea - India

Joining Forces. Analysts speak of a global "democratic recession" as authoritarian forms of government become more prevalent. This is concerning news for anti-corruption activists. 

 

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/joining-forces 

 

A positive perception of integrity and fairness has spread across society. The perception of corruption in South Korea improved among every survey participant compared to last year. 

 

ACRC: https://www.acrc.go.kr/board.es?mid=a20301000000&bid=62&list_no=43507&act=view 

 

E-Governance Prospects and Problems. E-Governance promotes development and application of information and communication technology for sustainable development facilitates collaboration, but it is resource intensive, and attention needs to be made to the "digital divide". 

 

Daily Excelsior: https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/e-governance-prospects-and-problems/