Transparency International - Daily Corruption News (12 Jan 2015)

Today's top story Ukraine: Ukraine ex-leader Yanukovych wanted by Interpol BBC Interpol has placed deposed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on its wanted list, almost one year after he fled to neighbouring Russia.

More news Afghanistan: Afghanistan's $3.6 billion police problem: broken systems and corruption Al Jazeera China: Senior Chinese spy chief under corruption probe, SCMP reports Bloomberg Indonesia: Indonesia aviation is in chaos Bloomberg Iraq: Iraq may need three years to restructure and rebuild military – PM Reuters Nepal: Nepal bureaucrat clinches ‘Integrity Idol’ crown Agence France-Presse South Africa: S.African president urges ANC to return to "core values" Agence France-Presse

Blogs and opinion Global: Corruption and revolt The New Yorker Malaysia: Can Borneo's tribes survive 'biggest environmental crime of our times'? National Geographic US: Forget the McDonnells. We’re ignoring bigger, more pernicious corruption right under our noses The Washington Post

News from Transparency International

On the blog: The potential of fighting corruption through data mining
On the blog: Fighting corruption above the Arctic Circle

The Ethical Alliance Daily (12 Jan 2015)

United States: Sony Subpoenaed in Bribery Probe Over ‘Resident Evil’ Release

United States: FBI- Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Daiichi-Sankyo to Pay $39 Million to Resolve Allegations That It Paid Kickbacks to Physicians

United States: Former Asst. District Attorney indicted on corruption and bribery charges

United Kingdom: £800,000 payback for money laundering

Romania: Two officials from the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture arrested for taking bribes

China: Chinese spy chief Ma Jian detained in corruption crackdown

Turkey: Turkey fails in fight against corruption as gov’t blocks probe of graft claims

Brazil: Brazil Banks Endangered By Petrobras Corruption

India: CBI unearths bribery scandal in I-T department, arrests senior official, chartered accountants

Ukraine: Prosecutors admit corrupt coal contract with SAR was OKed by Ukraine top leaders

Brazil Calls for International Cooperation Against Corruption

The Ministry of Justice of Brazil today requested the collaboration of five countries to locate six witnesses called during the criminal case to which it is subjected state oil company Petrobras, known as Operation Lava Jato.  According to the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, the Ministry of Justice made this request to the authorities in Switzerland, Singapore, Panama, UK and Hong Kong (China).

Read the story in Prensa Latina. http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3436851&Itemid=1

Transparency International - Daily Corruption News (9 Jan 2015)

Today's top story

Peru: Former Peru president convicted of corruption
Associated Press

A three-judge panel in Peru convicted jailed former President Alberto Fujimori on Thursday of funneling more than $40 million in public funds to tabloid newspapers that smeared his opponents during his 2000 re-election campaign.

More news

Brazil: Itaú may guard against more defaults as Petrobras scandal widens
Reuters

Spain: Spanish princess headed for trial after appeal thrown out
Associated Press

Sri Lanka: In Sri Lanka, a chance for transformative change
Devex (TI mention)

Turkey: Turkey’s corruption probe turns into plot and power for Erdogan
Bloomberg

US: Justice Department said to tap ex-FBI lawyer as fraud chief
Bloomberg

Blogs and opinion

Indonesia: Preventing graft in procurement
The Jakarta Post

Israel: Rampant corruption is an existential threat to Israeli democracy
Haaretz

News from Transparency International

On the blog: The potential of fighting corruption through data mining
On the blog: Fighting corruption above the Arctic Circle

The Ethical Alliance Daily (9 Jan 2015)

United States: New trial sought in Advantage Asphalt bribery case

United States: Evidence hearing set in ex-attorney general bribery case

Peru: Fujimori Convicted of Corruption in Fifth Trial

Israel: Nearly half a million cash found in home of ministry director linked to Yisrael Beiteinu

Brazil: Petrobras Contagion Ignites Brazil Company Bond Plummet

Ukraine: Yatsenyuk: Ukrainian authorities rid energy sector of corruption

Turkey: Corruption Probe Turns Into Plot and Power for Erdogan

China: China says nets 680 graft suspects in ‘unprecedented’ haul

Italy: 22 businessmen, public officials arrested for corruption in Rome

South Korea: Anti-corruption bill passes parliamentary sub-committee

Fighting Corruption in Anti-Deforestation Programs — The Case of REDD+

"Securing a global climate agreement that includes tropical deforestation would no doubt be a historic achievement. But once world leaders return from Paris next year, the proof of the pudding will lie in national implementation. They may well wish to consider what can be learned from recent schemes for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (known as REDD+)…. It turns out that even when donors have pledged substantial amounts of money, spending that money effectively can be challenging. A major part of that challenge relates to the difficult political-economy of forest sector reform in developing countries, where corruption in its various guises can be a core feature. Indeed… REDD+ financing also risks increasing corruption and related problems like land grabbing."

Read the full guest post by Aled Williams, Senior Advisor at the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, in the Global Anticorruption Blog. http://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2015/01/06/guest-post-fighting-corruption-in-anti-deforestation-programs-the-case-of-redd/

U4 Issue, Dec. 2014, No. 10 - Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis of governance and anti-corruption activities

Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis of governance and anti-corruption activities

Author: Jesper Johnsøn, Senior Advisor, U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute
U4 Issue, December 2014, No. 10

Abstract:

Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis methods are currently underutilised in evaluations of governance and anti-corruption reforms in developing countries. This limits opportunities to inform policy and may lead to suboptimal reform choices and programme designs. In general, complicated interventions such as national anti-corruption strategies or anti-corruption agencies do not lend themselves easily to cost-analysis approaches, often due to the challenge of measuring the impact in terms of reduced corruption. However, cost-effectiveness analysis – and in some cases cost-benefit analysis – of sector programmes with inbuilt anti-corruption measures is a useful tool for guiding decision makers as they choose between alternative integrity measures and assess the return on investment. Cost-benefit analysis hinges on an ability to translate outcomes into a monetary value, something most feasible with public finance–related interventions. Where outcomes cannot be monetised, there are still opportunities for cost-effectiveness analysis. Two impact evaluation designs are presented that make use of cost-effectiveness analysis to overcome corruption measurement challenges. Using such designs, the value of anti-corruption activities can be evaluated even without measuring corruption.

Access this paper online at http://www.u4.no/publications/cost-effectiveness-and-cost-benefit-analysis-of-governance-and-anti-corruption-activities/downloadasset/3699