ASEAN responsible business / Pakistan austerity drive / Indonesia forestry corruption

Responsible private enterprise key to sustained economic and social progress in Asean (Op-ed).  “Alongside creating decent jobs, the private sector in Asean (Association of South East Asian Nations) can spur innovation in smart cities, finance green infrastructure, as well as adopt business models that promote good governance and diversity that serves to future-proof their business models.”

Lewis Neal and Valerie Cliff/Asia News Network: https://asianews.network/2018/08/23/responsible-private-enterprise-key-to-sustained-economic-and-social-progress-in-the-asean/

 

Pak Bans 1st Class Air Travel By Leaders, Officials, Work Hours Revised.  Pakistan's new government has banned the discretionary use of state funds and first-class air travel by officials and leaders, including the president and the prime minister, as part of its austerity drive.

NDTV: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/imran-khans-pakistan-pak-bans-first-class-air-travel-by-government-officials-leaders-working-hours-r-1905983

 

Is Indonesia’s celebrated antigraft agency missing the corruption for the trees? (Editorial).  “Our analysis found a range of obstacles preventing the KPK from taking action against corrupt politicians and the unscrupulous companies engaging in large-scale land deals.”

Mongabay: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/08/is-indonesias-celebrated-antigraft-agency-missing-the-corruption-for-the-trees/

Hong Kong rail workers / Thailand new law / FTC job corruption

Duo charged with bribery over employment of construction workers (Press release).  Two former workers of a construction engineering company have been charged by the ICAC with soliciting and accepting illegal rebates of over $43,000 in total from four fellow workers in relation to their employment with the company.

Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC):  https://www.icac.org.hk/en/press/index_id_602.html

 

Thailand Passes New Anti-Corruption Law.  An important addition in the New Anti-Corruption Law is that the legal entities covered under the law now also include foreign juristic persons, meaning that it applies to organizations that are registered abroad but operating in Thailand. This would cover situations where a company may not have a physical presence in Thailand, but is using local agents to win government contracts, for example.

Tilleke & Gibbins/Lexology: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=2cfc0be0-5b65-408a-81fd-a9cafa163239

 

FTC tries to stamp out corruption.  Korea’s antitrust watchdog is strengthening its efforts to eradicate corruption among its officials, particularly focusing on rooting out a practice where its former employees got hired by local conglomerates they oversaw while working for the commission, according to the country’s top competition regulator.

Choi Hyung-Jo/Korea JoongAng Daily: http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3052146&cloc=joongangdaily|home|newslist1

Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates (25 August 2018): Fiji, PNG, Samoa

FIJI:

Former court clerk faces corruption charges.  Keven Kalpesh Chand is charged with soliciting and accepting an advantage.

http://www.fijitimes.com/former-court-clerk-faces-corruption-charges/

Lawyer and businessman given suspended sentence for forgery.  Suva lawyer Aseri Vakaloloma and businessman Benjamin Padarath have been given a suspended sentence by the Suva Magistrates Court this afternoon.

http://www.fijitimes.com/lawyer-and-businessman-given-suspended-sentence-for-forgery/

Fijians Helping Fiji Cooperative spends $600,000.  The controversial Fijians Helping Fiji Cooperative spent $600,000 in two years and has now run out of money, in what its chairman has described as “a learning process”.

http://www.fijitimes.com/fijians-helping-fiji-cooperative-spends-600000/

Arrest warrant issued for Fiji woman over NZ trafficking case. The women are charged with trafficking, obtaining property by deception and money laundering.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/364581/arrest-warrant-issued-for-fiji-woman-over-nz-trafficking-case

 

PNG:

Governor of PNG capital to 'keep pushing boundaries'.  Some opposition MPs have decried the use of a foreign-owned company to run the sessions, amid other yoga training, as a waste of around $US900,000 in public money.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/364496/governor-of-png-capital-to-keep-pushing-boundaries

Bougainville cracking down on corruption.  Corruption within government departments is stealing the dreams of Bougainville, the chief secretary of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), Joseph Nobetau, says.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/364574/bougainville-cracking-down-on-corruption

PNG heading towards social breakdown - opposition MP.  A Papua New Guinea opposition MP says social breakdown could come to a head in the country after it hosts APEC.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/2018659118/png-heading-towards-social-breakdown-opposition-mp

Call for reserved seats for women in PNG still alive.  "Because of the disparity in how wealth is being used, how corruption is used, how all the other elements that are being used by men to actually dominate and to gain their votes into parliament, I support the reserved seats because it opens up that opportunity for women to be heard," Ms Igo said.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/364675/call-for-reserved-seats-for-women-in-png-still-alive

 

SAMOA:

Unit to protect whistleblowers a step in the right direction. It’s undeniable that the Government has copped a lot of flak over its catch cry about accountability, transparency and good governance. 

http://www.sobserver.ws/en/23_08_2018/editorial/36159/Unit-to-protect-whistleblowers-a-step-in-the-right-direction.htm

 

To know more about the UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Project please contact the team members:

Maria Adomeit, Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser, UNODC, maria.adomeit@unodc.org

Mihaela Stojkoska, Anti-Corruption Specialist - Pacific, UNDP, mihaela.stojkoska@undp.org

Maria Lee, Peace & Development Administrative Assistant, UNDP/UNODC, maria.lee@undp.org

 

New UNDP project / China tax blockchain / Viet Nam Home Affairs

Creating a fair business environment to promote sustainable development and growth in ASEAN (Press release).  The new UNDP regional project, 'Promoting a Fair Business Environment in ASEAN', aims to promote a fair business environment in the region by developing transparent systems in both public and private sectors, championing sustainable business practices, as well as strengthening rule of law and anti-corruption mechanisms.

United Nations Development Programme: http://www.asia-pacific.undp.org/content/rbap/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2018/creating-a-fair-business-environment-to-promote-sustainable-deve.html

 

China Fighting Tax Corruption with Blockchain.  "[O]ne of the methods believed which could help eliminate the use of fake invoices is to start making people, companies, and others submit their applications for tax reimbursement via a blockchain."

Yaron Mazor/FXEmpire:https://www.fxempire.com/news/article/china-fighting-tax-corruption-with-blockchain-522578

 

Home affairs ministry probes official's quick promotions.  Viet Nam's Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that it was looking into the case of a high-level official in Bình Định Province who was awarded a number of promotions in quick succession, the latest step the government is taking to crack down on corruption.

Viet Nam News: https://vietnamnews.vn/society/464256/home-affairs-ministry-probes-officials-quick-promotions.html#RReglqlRfoxG7D70.97

BRI anticorruption agency / Thai PACC chief / Philippines OEC corruption

Guest Post: The One Belt, One Road Initiative Needs a Centralized Anticorruption Body (Blog).  "I suggest that one way—perhaps the best way—to achieve the requisite level of anticorruption coordination in the context of the OBOR initiative is to establish a supranational anticorruption body with oversight for OBOR projects. That is, I advocate the creation of a "Silk Road Anticorruption Body" that would have four primary functions:…[coordinating investigations, financial regulations, policy coordination and guidance, and facilitating integration of anticorruption provisions in future agreements."

Edmund Bao/The Global Anticorruption Blog:https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2018/08/16/guest-post-the-one-belt-one-road-initiative-needs-a-centralized-anticorruption-body/

 

PACC chief selection 'unlawful'. Thailand's Central Administrative Court has ruled the selection of the new secretary-general of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) is unlawful although the secretary-general can keep his job for now.

Bangkok Post:https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1524238/pacc-chief-selection-unlawful

 

Corruption Creates Difficulties Recruiting from Philippines. New Zealand employers hiring workers from the Philippines were affected by a ban imposed by the Philippines Government on the Philippines Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) due to corruption within the organization, which is in charge of issuing Overseas Employment Certificates for workers to leave the country to work abroad.

Sebastian Shaw/Scoop:http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1808/S00062/corruption-creates-difficulties-recruiting-from-philippines. 

Xi warns military / Khan anti-corruption vow / 1MDB commentary

China's Xi says military must resist 'corrosion' of corruption.  “Xi has repeatedly warned about the threat of corruption to the country and the party, and has vowed not to let up in the fight against it.”

Ben Blanchard/Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-politics-defence/chinas-xi-says-military-must-resist-corrosion-of-corruption-idUSKCN1L40D7

 

Imran Khan vows to cut government expenses, tackle corruption.  In his first televised speech, new leader pledges to cut down government spending and maintain peace with neighbours.

Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/08/imran-khan-vows-cut-government-expenses-tackle-corruption-180819182720963.html

 

How the 1MDB scandal brought down a century-old Swiss bank (Commentary).  “The world's largest financial scandal has toppled a government, threatened a currency, and revealed deeply problematic failings at a buccaneering Swiss bank, say two observers from IMD Business School.”

Salvatore Cantale and Ivy Buche/Channel NewsAsia: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/1mdb-najib-razak-jho-low-money-laundering-swiss-bank-accounts-10616388

Chinese official imprisoned / India corporate liability / Malaysia rail network

Former provincial official imprisoned for bribery.  Zhang Wenxiong, former head of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Hunan provincial committee, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 2 million yuan for taking bribes and holding a huge amount of property with unidentified sources.

Yurou/Xinhua: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-08/16/c_137395902.htm

 

Corporate Liability for Corruption in India: Some Notes on Reform (Blog).  “The penalties for corporations that commit corrupt acts need to be stronger and more certain, but at the same time the agencies responsible for prosecuting corporate corruption cases need to be much clearer – both to their own employees and to potential defendants – about when a corporation has made sufficient efforts to prevent corruption that it should escape punishment even when it could technically be held liable.”

Abhinav Sekhri/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2018/08/17/corporate-liability-for-corruption-in-india-three-necessary-reforms/

 

Amid corruption scandal, Malaysia switches track on future of rail network.  “Public transit programs in the Kuala Lumpur region made significant gains under Najib, but revelations about the nexus of infrastructure projects and corruption [left] the future of rail development in question.”

Keith Schneider/Mongabay: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/08/amid-corruption-scandal-malaysia-switches-track-on-future-of-rail-network/