Pakistan Citizens' Portal / Philippines MRT contract / Iran new parliament

Corruption, malpractice added to Citizens’ Portal.  “In line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s instructions, the Prime Minister’s Performance Delivery Unit has added a dedicated category of Corruption and Malpractices to Pakistan Citizens’ Portal complaint lodging mechanism.”

Mumtaz Alvi/The News: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/610223-corruption-malpractice-added-to-citizens-portal  

 

Ex-MRT chief Al Vitangcol convicted of graft over maintenance contract.  The Philippine anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has convicted former Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT3) general manager Al Vitangcol III of graft and procurement law violation over the 2012 contract given to PH Trams whose incorporator Arturo Soriano was his uncle-in-law.

Lian Buan/Rappler: https://www.rappler.com/nation/251148-al-vitangcol-convicted-graft-maintenance-project

 

Corruption Set To Continue In Next Iranian Parliament (Opinion).  “Corruption appears to be moving from a reformist-dominated Majles to a conservative-dominated one. The vicious cycle of corruption does not seem to stop.”

Ehsan Mehrabi/Radio Farda: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/corruption-set-to-continue-in-next-iranian-parliament-/30421157.html

Anti-corruption networks performance / CPI score changes / FCPA top case

Networks of anti-corruption authorities - Living up to their aspirations? (Resource/Brief).  “Networks of anti-corruption authorities pursue cross-border collaboration and joint capacity building, and sometimes even joint principles, joint policy making, and harmonization of national laws. Information about these activities and their outcomes is scarce, but it is clear that most of the networks are not yet reaching their political and technical potential.”

Sofie Arjon Schütte/U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre: https://www.u4.no/publications/networks-of-anti-corruption-authorities

 

Small Year-to-Year Changes in CPI Scores Are Meaningless. Small Year-to-Year Changes in CPI Scores Are Meaningless. Small Year-to-Year Changes in CPI Scores Are Meaningless (Blog).  “Because year-to-year changes in an individual country’s CPI score usually meaningless, they are not newsworthy, nor can they be invoked to make substantive claims about corruption’s causes or consequences, or the success or failure of different countries’ anticorruption policies.”

Matthew Stephenson/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/02/06/small-year-to-year-changes-in-cpi-scores-are-meaningless-small-year-to-year-changes-in-cpi-scores-are-meaningless-small-year-to-year-changes-in-cpi-scores-are-meaningless/  

 

Airbus shatters the FCPA top ten (Blog).  “Airbus SE smashed our top ten list Friday with a $2.09 billion [Foreign Corrupt Practices Act] settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, sending it straight to number one.”

Harry Cassin/FCPA Blog: https://fcpablog.com/2020/02/03/airbus-shatters-the-fcpa-top-ten/

Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates (8 February 2020): Tonga, Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Vanuatu

TONGA:

Tonga accedes to UN Convention Against Corruption. Tonga has acceded to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, becoming the 14th and final Pacific Island country to do so, and the 187th signatory in the world.

https://matangitonga.to/2020/02/07/tonga-accedes-un-convention-against-corruption

 

FIJI:

Development of a national anti-corruption strategy underway. The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption is in the early stages of drafting a national anticorruption strategy.

https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/development-of-a-national-anti-corruption-strategy-underway/

FICAC targets primary school students in anti-corruption campaign. Starting them young, the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption clarified their approach to better governance in schools.

https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/ficac-targets-primary-school-students-in-anti-corruption-campaign/

 

PNG:

PNG maintains its position as most corrupt. Pacific country Papua New Guinea has again maintained its position as the most perceptibly corrupt country in the Pacific.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/2018731780/png-maintains-its-position-as-most-corrupt-pacific-country

 

SOLOMON ISLANDS:

Fight against corruption lacks prominence in regional forums – watchdog. The chief executive of Transparency Solomon Islands says the fight against corruption should feature more prominently in regional forums.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/408193/fight-against-corruption-lacks-prominence-in-regional-forums-watchdog

 

SAMOA:

P.M. Tuilaepa warns about perils of ignoring corruption. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sa'ilele Malielegaoi has cautioned Pacific leaders about the perils of leaving corruption unaddressed, consequently enabling it to "wreck great havoc" on island nations.

https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/57599

 

VANUATU:

Vanuatu's caretaker PM facing perjury charge – report. Vanuatu's caretaker prime minister is understood to be facing a charge of perjury, along with several other high-profile defendants.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/408899/vanuatu-s-caretaker-pm-facing-perjury-charge-report

 

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

Annika Wythes, Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser, UNODC, annika.wythes@un.org

Marine Destrez, Anti-Corruption Specialist – Pacific a.i., UNDP, marine.destrez@undp.org

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

Indonesia CPI performance / Afghanistan open contracting / Malaysia ex-PM wife

KPK Law may hinder Indonesia’s performance in corruption perception index.  “Indonesia has made improvements in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Transparency International Indonesia has announced, but the country would struggle to maintain the momentum in the face of the new Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law.”

The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/02/02/kpk-law-may-hinder-indonesias-performance-in-corruption-perception-index.html

 

Taming crocodiles in Afghanistan: Can open contracting give corruption fighters the upper hand? (Blog).  “In the five years since the reforms were introduced, savings from procurement add up to around AFN 58 billion (US$740 million), according to government figures (calculated by subtracting the actual contract cost from the estimated cost).”

Open Contracting Partnership: https://www.open-contracting.org/2020/01/31/taming-crocodiles-in-afghanistan-can-open-contracting-give-corruption-fighters-the-upper-hand/

 

Graft trial told Malaysian ex-PM’s wife was influential.  “Although Rosmah Mansor holds no official post, deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram said she “placed herself in a position where she was able to influence decisions in the public sector.” Evidence will show she was “actuated by a corrupt intention” at all times in seeking and receiving bribes related to a 1.25 billion ringgit ($303 million) solar energy project, Sri Ram said.”

Eileen Ng/AP: https://apnews.com/cf142b14df35c9b1f05004d1deabc048

Maldives RTI law / Philippines corruption reporting / Thailand House committee

Holding public officials accountable in the Maldives (Blog).  “In a country with a long history of government secrecy, enforcing the Right to Information Act is a tedious task. But activists’ persistence is paying off.”

Transparency International: https://voices.transparency.org/holding-public-officials-accountable-in-the-maldives-50588c5c7383

 

‘Fight vs corruption needs more Pinoys reporting it’.  “If more Filipinos report corrupt practices via 8888, the government can do better in its fight against corruption, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). In a statement, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said greater citizen engagement is the key to curbing corruption in the country.”

Cai Ordinario/Business Mirror: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/01/28/fight-vs-corruption-needs-more-pinoys-reporting-it/  

 

Stop bickering and start working, anti-corruption panel told.  “Months have passed since the [Members of the House Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Committee of Thailand] was formed to tackle rampant graft in the country, but little has been done due to the unending tit-for-tat squabbling between its chairman Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, who hails from the opposition camp, and panel members Pareena Kraikupt and Sira Jenjakha.”

Dumrongkiat Mala/Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1848624/stop-bickering-and-start-working-anti-corruption-panel-told

Thailand Economic Monitor / Private sector research / Philippines CG standards

Thailand Economic Monitor January 2020: Productivity for Prosperity.  “Policy recommendations to boost productivity in Thailand could focus on: (i) increasing openness; (ii) enhancing competition in the domestic economy; and (iii) promoting a stronger eco-system for firm innovation.”

World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/thailand/publication/thailand-economic-monitor-productivity-for-prosperity

 

Call for applications - funding for research on corruption in the private sector.  The research funded will supplement the ACE Research Consortium’s core evidence-based research on feasible and high impact anti-corruption strategies in the private sector, with a strong gender focus. Deadline for applications: 13 March 2020.

School of Oriental and African Studies Anti-Corruption Evidence (SOAS-ACE) Consortium: https://ace.soas.ac.uk/competitive-call-2020/

 

SEC tightens corporate governance standards.  “The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) [of the Philippines] has tightened its corporate governance standards, widening its net to cover public companies and registered users…companies that issue proprietary or non-proprietary shares or certificates, issues equity securities to the public that are not listed in an exchange, or issues debt securities to the public that are required to be registered with the SEC, whether or not listed in an exchange.”

Iris Gonzales/The Philippine Star: https://www.philstar.com/business/2020/01/27/1987968/sec-tightens-corporate-governance-standards

Malaysia not complacent / Thailand House committee / Myanmar university rector

GIACC: Malaysia should not rest on laurels in fight against corruption.  “Malaysia’s success in improving its reputation in Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2019 has been a proud achievement for the country, but all stakeholders have been reminded [by Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) deputy director-general, Datuk Dr Anis Yusal Yusoff] not to ease off, and continue the fight to eradicate corruption.

Malay Mail: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/01/24/giacc-malaysia-should-not-rest-on-laurels-in-fight-against-corruption/1831202

 

Graft panel qualifications in crosshairs.  “The qualifications of certain members of the House standing committee on corruption have come under fire, raising the question of whether they are fit to continue in the role, according to the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT).”

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1845909/graft-panel-qualifications-in-crosshairs

 

Myanmar University Rector Forced to Retire Over Dodgy Contract.  “The Ministry of Education says it will force the rector of Mandalay University to retire amid allegations over a food court construction on the campus. The rector failed to follow the President’s Office’s orders to be transparent in the tender process…”

Zarni Mann/The Irrawaddy: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-university-rector-forced-retire-dodgy-contract.html