India investigation tips / Corruption in Asia / Macau casinos

Simon Shares Tips for Anti-Corruption Investigations in India (commentary).  Partner David Simon co-wrote an article that ran in The FCPA Report, “Ten Tips for Performing Effective Anti-Corruption Investigations in India,” where he collaborated with New Delhi, India-based attorney Sherbir Panag to share guidance for how U.S. companies can ensure they are complying with the law as they do business in India. 

Foley: https://www.foley.com/Simon-Shares-Tips-for-Anti-Corruption-Investigations-in-India-05-24-2017/

Corruption in Asia only getting worse: EY survey.  Despite anti-graft initiatives under way from China to India, the survey by EY found that ‘ethical standards are not improving’.

Lisa Pham/Live Mint: http://www.livemint.com/Companies/k7Jqt3qlAeBUNp3xqnOp2L/Corruption-in-Asia-only-getting-worse-EY-survey.html

China’s Anti-Corruption Drive Could Still Hurt Macau’s Economic Recovery, Market Analysts Warn (commentary).  "China’s anti-corruption drive, which kicked off in 2014, scared off many high-rollers who comprise Macau’s VIP segment with tightened controls on the junket industry that arranged their trips to China."

David Sheldon/Casino.org: https://www.casino.org/news/analysts-warn-chinas-anti-corruption-drive-could-hurt-macau-recovery

Bhutan asset recovery / India digital currency / Australia real estate

Bhutan's National Assembly wants faster recovery of stolen assets.  Concluding its deliberation on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) report 2016, the National Assembly told the Office of the Attorney General to complete the recovery of Nu 110 million (about US$1.7 million) stolen by 17 individuals who were convicted in court for corruption between 2009 and 2016.

Kuensel: http://www.kuenselonline.com/assembly-asks-oag-to-complete-corruption-restitution/

India court blocks digital currency initiative.  Any attempt by India to drop all physical currency in favor of a digital currency system on very short notice was blocked April 3 by a Supreme Court of India ruling.

Richard Giedroyc/NumisMaster: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=28568

Is Australian Real Estate a Haven for Money Laundering? (opinion)  "Data from the Foreign Investment Review Board indicates that the amount of foreign money being pumped into [Australia's] local residential real estate increased more than threefold in just two years from 2012/13 to 2014/15."

Andrew Heaton/Sourceable: https://sourceable.net/australian-real-estate-haven-money-laundering/

Philippines-China partnership / Australia tax fraud / Sri Lanka electronic bidding

Philippines joins China to fight illegal gambling.  China and the Philippines have joined forces to tackle illegal gambling, part of Beijing's broader campaign to curb illicit capital outflows and a pledge by Manila to weed out unscrupulous operators from the country's booming gaming industry.

Neil Jerome Morales & Farah Master/Australian Financial Review: http://www.afr.com/news/world/asia/philippines-joins-china-to-fight-illegal-gambling-20170508-gw0cq2

Alleged $165m tax fraud unprecedented, says Australia police.  Nine people have been arrested and charged in connection with a sophisticated syndicate that allegedly stole $165m from the commonwealth, in what Australian police is calling one of the nation’s most significant white-collar organised crime operations.

Rhian Deutrom/The Australian: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/son-of-tax-boss-arrested-for-fraud/news-story/642ff4bcbb98046329a6e9508e38d2b2

Sri Lanka govt urged to lift restrictions on electronic bidding.  Sri Lanka’s government has been urged to lift restrictions on electronic bidding, accept e-signatures and mandate online publication of procurement plans in an effort to introduce electronic procurement.

Economy Next: http://www.economynext.com/Sri_Lanka_govt_urged_to_lift_restrictions_on_electronic_bidding-3-7963.html

Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates (27 May 2017): Cook Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu

These updates are provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Anti-Corruption Project for Southeast Asia, and the joint UNODC - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project, with support of the Australian Government.

If a link below does not work, please copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar instead.

COOK ISLANDS:

Corruption at all levels (opinion).  "Complaints about government employees helping directly in the election campaign of at least one candidate shows that as far as politics in this country are concerned, nothing much has changed."

http://www.cookislandsnews.com/opinion/smoke-signals/item/64469-busy-section-of-road-odd-place-for-checkpoint

FIJI:

PAC reports for 2009-2013 passed by majority of MPs.  The contents of the report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on the Audits of Government Commercial Companies and Commercial Statutory Authorities 2009-2013 - Volume One was passed in Parliament yesterday.

http://fijivillage.com/news/PAC-reports-for-2009-2013-passed-by-majority-of-MPs-rs295k/

Trial date set for former university official. The trial date has been set for the former Vice – Chancellor of the Fiji national University (FNU) facing corruption charges for the following year.

http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/51030/trial-date-set-for-former-fnu-vc

Ex-policemen to file no case to answer.  Defence lawyers in the hearing of two former police officers charged with bribery informed court today that they would be filing submissions for a no case to answer.

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=401852

There is no need to protect people if they are not doing their job - Acting PM

Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Civil Service Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has told parliament that there is no need to protect people if they are not doing their job.

http://fijivillage.com/news/There-is-no-need-to-protect-people-if-they-are-not-doing-their-job---Acting-PM-9k52rs/

VANUATU:

Commission of Inquiry into Misappropriation of Vanuatu's European Development Fund Launched. Minister of Justice, Ronald Warsal, has a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the alleged misappropriation of European Development Fund 2017-2020.

http://www.pireport.org/articles/2017/05/23/commission-inquiry-misappropriation-vanuatus-european-development-fund-launched

Thank you to the team at UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Project for sharing these updates.  For more information, please contact:

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

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

Luisa Senibulu, Governance Programme Associate, UNDP/UNODC, luisa.senibulu@undp.org

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

Malaysia graft reporting / Technology boost / Ceiling prices

After promising reward, Malaysia anti-graft agency will now punish civil servants who fail to report graft.  Civil servants who did not alert the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of bribery attempts could face prosecution for the first-time ever under existing laws.

The Malay Mail: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/after-promising-reward-macc-will-now-punish-civil-servants-who-fail-to-repo

How technology can boost government accountability in the developing world.  A conference in San Francisco, “Smart Government: Harnessing Technology for Public Good”, showcased technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning that can empower citizens, fight corruption, and transform governments.

Catherine Cheney/DevEx: https://www.devex.com/news/how-technology-can-boost-government-accountability-in-the-developing-world-90251

Ceiling Prices: A Second Best Method for Attacking Bid Rigging(commentary).  "In the face of collusion or cartel-like behavior by its suppliers, is government powerless in the short-run?...One solution is to do what Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines do: Set the maximum price it will pay for the good, service, or construction project it plans to procure and make it clear it will pay no more."

Rick Messick/Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2017/05/17/bid-ceilings-a-second-best-method-for-attacking-bidding-rigging/

Korea investigative body / Indonesia graft-buster breakfast / Bangladesh capital flight

Setting up independent investigative body major sticking point in South Korea.  Heated debate is expected among the political parties over President Moon Jae-in's plan to set up an independent investigative body that will look into corruption of high-ranking public officials and their families.

Lee Kyung-min/The Korea Times: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2017/05/251_229328.html

Terror, Threats, Acid Attacks: ‘Like Breakfast’ To Indonesia’s Graft-Busters.  Terror, intimidation and threats are to be expected if you choose to fight corruption in Indonesia, says the former head of the country’s graft-buster, Abraham Samad.

Ardi Wirdana/South China Morning Post: http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2093819/terror-threats-acid-attacks-breakfast-indonesias-graft-busters

Capital flight from Bangladesh (commentary).  "In its latest Annual Report, Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington-based research outfit, provided an estimate of $6.0 to $9.0 billion that, it claims, was siphoned away from Bangladesh in 2014 via what it calls Illicit Financial Flow (IFF)."

Syed Ashraf Ali, retired Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank/The Financial Express: http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/05/13/70210/Talk-of-the-town:-Capital-flight-from-Bangladesh

Malaysia civil servants / Afghanistan security sector / Philippines transparency pledge

Nearly half of 414 individuals nabbed this year by Malaysian anti-graft body are civil servants. Civil servants made up about 46 per cent of the 414 people detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for various offences so far this year, says MACC deputy chief commissioner (prevention) Datuk Shamshun Bahari Mohd Jamil.

Astro Awani: http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/corruption-191-civil-servants-among-414-individuals-nabbed-macc-year-142901

Corruption Weakening Security Sector, Says Afghanistan Attorney General.  At a press conference, Afghanistan’s Attorney General Farid Hamidi said successes made by the enemy were due to corruption within the security structures.

TOLO News: http://www.tolonews.com/afghanistan/corruption-weakening-security-sector-says-attorney-general

Philippines vows transparency in $160-B infra push as debt, corruption fears persist.  The office of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte assured the public that transparency will be a paramount consideration as the Duterte administration embarks on an ambitious P8-trillion plan to build infrastructure around the country.

Dharel Placido/ABS-CBN: http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/15/17/palace-vows-transparency-in-160-b-infra-push-as-debt-corruption-fears-persist