Indonesia reporting reward / Defense sector governance / North Korea cellphone bribery

Indonesia offers up to Rp 200 million for reporting graft.  The new regulation, issued by the Law and Human Rights Ministry, stipulates that informants who provide tips to the authorities regarding possible graft will be awarded with an official certificate and paid up to Rp 200 million (US$13,137).

The Nation: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30356176

 

Toward Global Standards for Defense Sector Governance (Blog).  “TI is launching an initiative to formulate, formalize, and promote a set of global principles that underpin responsible, accountable governance of military power—principles that would embrace the idea that the military must be accountable to the people and that would, if followed, improve domestic governance of the defense sector.”

Amira El-Sayed/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2018/10/04/guest-post-is-an-international-anti-corruption-court-a-dream-or-a-distraction/

 

North Korean Crackdown on Cellphone Use Causes Spike in Corruption.  Corruption in North Korea is on the rise as agents from the Ministry of State Security more brazenly demand bribes to look the other way when North Koreans make calls to their relatives in South Korea on their mobile phones.

Eugene Whong/Radio Free Asia: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/nkcellphonecorruption-10122018143853.html

Open contracting cities / India anonymous complaints / Pakistan corruption cases

Super-power procurement: four ways open contracting is making cities smart (Opinion).  “We have seen that integrating open contracting into larger city change processes can save money and time, deliver better goods and services, engage more and more diverse vendors or flag political linkages and corruption risks.”

Kathrin Frauscher and Coby Jones/Apolitical: https://apolitical.co/solution_article/super-power-procurement-four-ways-open-contracting-is-making-cities-smart/

 

Don't Act On Anonymous Corruption Complaints, Government Departments Told.  India’s Personnel Ministry said no action is required to be taken on anonymous and pseudonymous complaints, irrespective of the nature of the allegation and that such complaints need to be simply filed – while the Central Vigilance Commission also issued similar instructions.

NDTV: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/no-action-needed-on-anonymous-corruption-complaints-centre-to-departments-1930127

 

‘Corrupt’ but never convicted (Opinion).  “Those investigating and those prosecuting need to be invulnerable to pressure from above — so that political pressure cannot influence or speed up either stage, leading to a weak case reaching the courts.”

Arifa Noor/Dawn: https://www.dawn.com/news/1437814

Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates (13 November 2018): Cook Islands, Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Niue

COOK ISLANDS:

Law officers conference starts today.  The three-day event kicks off today and the attending law officers, who are the prosecutors and legal advisers to the governments of 16 Pacific Islands member nations, will hear presentations on a number of different topics.

http://cookislandsnews.com/national/local/item/70983-law-officers-conference-starts-today/70983-law-officers-conference-starts-today

 

FIJI:

Former PWD duo jailed on corruption charges.  Two former employees of the then-Public Works Department (PWD) have been sentenced by the High Court in Suva.

https://www.fijitimes.com/former-pwd-duo-jailed-on-corruption-charges/

 

PAPUA NEW GUINEA:

PNG anti-corruption commission compromised – activist.  An activist in Papua New Guinea is accusing the government of establishing an interim Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to investigate political opponents.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/368340/png-anti-corruption-commission-compromised-activist

 

PNG’s nine-fold increase in malaria infections. Those responsible for the corrupt procurement of drugs must also take their share of the blame. The “free health” policy of the last five years has only made things worse.

https://reliefweb.int/report/papua-new-guinea/png-s-nine-fold-increase-malaria-infections

 

SOLOMON ISLANDS:

Ousted Solomons MP bribed voters - High Court.  A Solomon Islands MP ousted from parliament was found by the country's High Court to have bribed voters in 2014.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/368466/ousted-solomons-mp-bribed-voters-high-court

Bribery, treating voters.  Ousted Member of Parliament (MP) for Temotu, VATUD Constituency Freda Tuki Soriacomua has bribed and treated voters by providing food during the campaigning and voting period in 2014.

http://www.solomonstarnews.com/index.php/news/national/item/20988-bribery-treating-voters

 

TOKELAU:

NZ asked to step in over Tokelau concerns. New Zealand's Auditor-General has asked the Foreign Ministry to step in and improve fiscal controls in Tokelau, New Zealand's Administrator to the territory says.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/368215/nz-asked-to-step-in-over-tokelau-fiscal-concerns

 

NIUE:

NZ warns Niue over revenue shortfalls, budget blowouts.  The concerns, which were raised in July by New Zealand's Auditor-General but have not previously been reported, also reveal a backlog in the audited accounts of Niue's government and state-owned enterprises from 2015 onwards.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/368331/nz-warns-niue-over-revenue-shortfalls-budget-blowouts

 

Thai immigration bribery / ADB-OECD partnership / Chinese foreign bribery

Thai officials removed for taking 'tips' from Chinese tourists.  “Four immigration officials at a busy Bangkok airport have been demoted after a probe found they were taking bribes from Chinese tourists to fast-track their visa applications.”

Channel NewsAsia: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/thai-officials-removed-for-taking-tips-from-chinese-tourists-10808532

 

ADB, OECD sign agreement to deepen partnership for Asia-Pacific.  ADB said the agreement covers the period 2019-2023 and commits the two organizations to work together to promote policy dialogue, results management, knowledge sharing, and mutual learning, including on anti-corruption, tax policy and administration, macroeconomic policy, and data collection and analyses.

Xinhua:http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-10/10/c_137523319.htm

 

US Prosecutors: China Corruption Case Grows Stronger.  Left largely unnoticed in the U.S., the corruption case against Patrick Ho, a former Hong Kong official fighting foreign bribery charges in New York, has sent shockwaves across Asia, putting the spotlight on an open secret in global business circles — rampant bribery of foreign governments by Chinese companies seeking business deals around the world.

Masood Farivar/VOA: https://www.voanews.com/a/us-prosecutors-china-corruption-case-grows-stronger/4607071.html

Interpol chief investigation / Malaysia airports champions / Pakistan no NRO

Former Interpol chief 'held in China under new form of custody'.  Meng Hongwei who is being investigated for bribery in China, seems to have been detained under “liuzhi” or “retention in custody”, which can deny detainees access to legal counsel or families for as long as six months; the measure is used by the National Supervisory Commission (NSC), China’s new super-agency.

Lily Kuo/The Guardian:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/09/former-interpol-chief-meng-hongwei-china-anti-graft

 

In Malaysia Airports, no landing space for corruption.  Malaysia Airports Holdings acting CEO said that Section 17a of the new act regarding gift-giving and receiving provides it with an opportunity to show its commitment to transparency, and that the company is currently working with MACC on how best to achieve this.

Robin Augustin/Free Malaysia Today: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/10/05/in-malaysia-airports-no-landing-space-for-corruption/

 

No NRO for the corrupt: PM.  Prime Minister Imran Khan ruled out the possibility of any national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) for the corrupt elements.

Hassaan Ahmed/Daily Times:https://dailytimes.com.pk/307561/no-nro-for-the-corrupt-pm/

Pakistan whistleblower law / Interpol official investigated / Indonesia bribery case

Khan promises ‘whistleblower’ law to fight official corruption.  Pakistani Prime Minister said a draft of the law will be presented in parliament in the very near future and will include protections for whistleblowers as well as a reward at 20% the value of the assets recovered.

Asia Times: http://www.atimes.com/article/khan-promises-whistleblower-law-to-fight-official-corruption/

 

Missing Interpol chief Meng Hongwei under investigation, China's anti-corruption watchdog says.  The National Supervisory Commission said Public Security Ministry Vice-Minister Meng Hongwei is currently under investigation by for suspected violations of law, in a first message on the case since Mr. Meng’s disappearance was reported in France.

Channel NewsAsia: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-anti-graft-agency-macc-seized-rm2-5-billion-cash-10769334

 

KPK Nabs Six People, Including Tax Officials, for Alleged Bribery in Ambon.  The national antigraft agency announced that it has arrested six people, including a senior tax official and investigators, for alleged bribery in Ambon, Maluku while seizing also 6,600 USD in cash.

Fana Suparman/Jakarta Globe: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/kpk-nabs-six-people-including-tax-officials-for-alleged-bribery-in-ambon/

Indian companies debarred / International Anti-Corruption Court / Singapore procurement bribery

World Bank debars several Indian firms for fraudulent & corrupt practices.  In its latest annual report, the World Bank said Olive Health Care and Jay Modi from India have been debarred from for their fraudulent and corrupt practices
   

Business Standard: https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/world-bank-debars-several-indian-firms-for-fraudulent-corrupt-practices-118100400075_1.html

 

Is an International Anti-Corruption Court a Dream or a Distraction? (Blog).  “An [International Anti-Corruption Court] is an exciting idea, to be sure, but given the hard-won experience derived from 16 years of the [International Criminal Court], I fear that this proposal may be a distraction from more effective responses to the worldwide scourge of grand corruption.”

Alex Whiting/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2018/10/04/guest-post-is-an-international-anti-corruption-court-a-dream-or-a-distraction/

 

Jail for company director who bribed his way to contracts with ST Kinetics subsidiary.  Teo Siong Khoon, director and shareholder of Agrotec Interimex Trading, sentenced to seven months of jail for giving almost $212,000 in bribes to Goh Peng Choy, procurement executive of Advanced Material Engineering (AME), between September 2006 and April 2009.

Fabian Koh/The Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/jail-for-company-director-who-bribed-his-way-to-contracts-with-st-kinetics