India officials fired / Cambodia crackdown analysis / Malaysia Najib prosecution

Modi govt sacks another 22 senior officials in latest crackdown on corruption.  “[India’s] Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) has compulsorily retired 22 senior government officials in "public interest" on charges of corruption… The latest batch of officers who were shown the door comprised those dealing with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Customers from across various zones in the country.”

India Today: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/modi-govt-crackdown-on-corruption-sacks-22-officials-1591607-2019-08-26

 

The Truth About Cambodia’s So-Called Corruption Crackdown (Opinion).  “…the point is that they do not change the broader realities in Cambodia that would make any seemingly revolutionary corruption crackdown seem more like a periodic purge.”

David Hutt/The Diplomat: https://thediplomat.com/2019/08/the-truth-about-cambodias-so-called-corruption-crackdown/

 

Prosecution rests case on Najib’s RM42m SRC International corruption trial.  Attorney General Tommy Thomas told the High Court that the prosecution is formally closing its case after its 57th and final witness, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Senior Assistant Commissioner Rosli Hussain, stepped down from the witness box.

Kenneth Tee/Malay Mail: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/08/27/prosecution-rests-case-on-najibs-rm42m-src-international-corruption-trial/1784639

Business integrity lesson / Indonesia KPK leadership / Technology for transparency

What PH can learn from Kenya in fight vs corruption.  “This is how [Blue Company Project] works: Corporations sworn to ethical standards and best sustainable practices in daily operations apply for a “Blue Company” stamp. Once certified, they encourage their suppliers and service providers to “go Blue” as well.”

Emmie G. Velarde/Inquirer.net: https://business.inquirer.net/277524/what-ph-can-learn-from-kenya-in-fight-vs-corruption 

 

Graft watchdogs cry foul over ‘conflict of interest’ in KPK leadership race.  A coalition of civil society organizations - including Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI), the Center for Indonesian Law and Policy Studies (PSHK), and the Jakarta Legal Aid Society (LBH Jakarta) - said that several selection committee members for the next leaders of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission were suspected of having conflicts of interest that made them unfit to sit on the committee.

Karina M. Tehusijarana/The Jakarta Post:  https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/08/26/several-kpk-selection-committee-members-unfit-have-conflicts-of-interest.html 

 

Transparency and tech together can safeguard taxpayers' money (Blog).  “Even as the people who commit fraud evolve and become more sophisticated, so too can government agencies by leveraging deep analytics, AI, blockchain and other technologies that can keep them ahead and prevent the loss of taxpayers’ money.”

Silvina Moschini/World Economic Forum:  https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/08/transparency-and-tech-together-can-safeguard-taxpayers-money/

Myanmar illegal loggers / Iran probe debate / Bangladesh land services

Locals Say Officials Took Bribes, Freed Illegal Loggers in W. Myanmar.  Lower House lawmaker U Myint Wai, of Rakhine State’s Gwa Township, accused forest department staff and police of setting free illegal loggers arrested in his constituency in May.

Htet Naing Zaw/The Irrawaddy: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/locals-say-officials-took-bribes-freed-illegal-loggers-w-myanmar.html

 

Corruption Probe Or Power Struggle? Iran's Former Judiciary Chief Comes Under Attack.  “As head of Iran's judiciary for a decade, Sadegh Amoli Larijani held significant power to use the country's legal system…Within months of a new judiciary chief's appointment in March, Larijani's political enemies looked to have been hitting back.”

Golnaz Esfandiari/Radio Free Europe: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-larijani-judiciary-chief-corruption-attack/30127184.html

 

‘Ensure corruption-free services regarding land’.  “The [Bangladesh] government officials are paid handsome salary that comes from people’s money. And so, people deserve good treatment and smooth service. The land ministry is working to establish digital services at all levels so that people can get land documents easily,” the chief guest [Secretary of Land Ministry Md Maksudur Rahman Patwary] said.

The Daily Star: https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/ensure-corruption-free-services-regarding-land-1790455

Thailand anti-corruption education / India minister arrest / New KickBack podcast

NACC urges spending on graft-busting lessons.  Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) hopes the government will allocate budget funds to the Education Ministry to educate students and the public about fighting corruption, commission president Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit said, adding that without a sufficient budget, the Education Ministry will have a difficult time maintaining public awareness about the dangers of corruption.

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1733355/nacc-urges-spend-on-graft-busting-lessons

 

A timeline of key events that led to the arrest of India’s former finance minister.  The case involves alleged irregularities in clearing overseas investments of Rs305 crore ($42.8 million) into the Mumbai-based INX Media group (now 9X media) in 2007 during Chidambaram’s tenure.

Niharika Sharma/Quartz: https://qz.com/india/1692837/timeline-of-chidambaram-and-kartis-inx-media-case/

 

New Podcast Episode, Featuring Oz Dincer (Blog/Podcast).  “In the interview, Professor Dincer [Director of the Institute for Corruption Studies at Illinois State]  and I discuss a range of topics, including new approaches to the challenges of measuring corruption, the concept of “legal corruption,” the role of cultural factors in influencing corrupt behavior (both internationally and within the United States), and troubling developments related to political corruption in Turkey.”

Matthew Stephenson/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2019/08/20/new-podcast-episode-featuring-oz-dincer/

Thai NACC emboldened / Nepal cases decreased / Iran car manufacturers

NACC makes bolder calls (Editorial).  “Indeed, even though six of [the Thai National Anti-Corruption Commission’s] nine commissioners were appointed by the former regime's lawmakers, these recent decisions are a welcome step towards a seemingly more impartial and more independent anti-corruption watchdog.”

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1732607/nacc-makes-bolder-calls

 

Corruption under control, says Minister Baskota.  Nepal’s Ministry of Communications and Information claimed that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority was bringing the corrupt to book. “The anti-graft body is working actively. Corruption cases in the country have decreased due to the active role of the CIAA,” Minister Baskota said.

The Himalayan Times: https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/corruption-under-control-says-minister-baskota/

 

Lawmaker Says Iran Car Manufacturers Mired In Corruption.  Iranian car manufacturers are mostly directly or indirectly government-owned and their losses impact either government institutions or government-owned banks.

Radio Farda: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/lawmaker-says-iran-car-manufacturers-mired-in-corruption/30115014.html

Philippines corruption cost / Indonesia corruption fighters / Pakistan asset recovery

P700 billion lost yearly due to corruption, says official.  The Philippines is losing around P700 billion (approx. US$13.3 billion), or around 20 percent of the country's total budget appropriation, yearly, due to corruption, an official said.

Ron Gagalac/ABS-CBN News: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/15/19/p700-billion-lost-yearly-due-to-corruption-says-official

 

Molotov cocktails and acid attacks: The risky life of an Indonesian corruption fighter (Interview).  “In an exclusive interview with the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, KPK Deputy Commissioner Laode Muhammad Syarif – one of the targets of the Molotov cocktail attack last January with chair Agus Rahardjo – says KPK staff face threats to their physical safety and that protection of commission staff is inadequate.”

James Massola, Karuni Rompies and Laode Muhammad Syarif/The Sydney Morning Herald:  https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/molotov-cocktails-and-acid-attacks-the-risky-life-of-an-indonesian-corruption-fighter-20190815-p52hku.html 

 

NAB recovers Rs326bn from corrupt elements.  “[Pakistan’s] National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has so far recovered Rs 326 billion (approx. US$ 2 billion) from the corrupt elements and deposited into the national exchequer which is a record achievement”

Fawad Maqsood/Business Recorder: https://www.brecorder.com/2019/08/17/518016/nab-recovers-rs326bn-from-corrupt-elements/ 

Thailand anti-corruption deputy / Philippines gift policy / Afghanistan release criticized

NACC turns its guns on deputy chief Prayat.  Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has recommended indicting its deputy secretary-general Prayat Puangjumpa for being unusually rich, after it found that he have amassed vast wealth and was accused of concealing them in his mandatory asset declaration to the NACC.

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1731015/nacc-turns-its-guns-on-deputy-chief-prayat

 

Lacson to Duterte: Insatiable greed starts with simple, petty graft.  This was the answer of Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, the former Philippine National Police chief, to President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that it was okay for police officers to accept “gifts” out of gratitude while speaking at the 118^th Policy Service anniversary.

Katrina Hallare/Inquirer.net: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1152446/lacson-to-duterte-insatiable-greed-starts-with-simple-petty-graft

 

US Envoy slams Afghan government’s anti-corruption resolve.  The United States criticized the government in Afghanistan for releasing from jail and into house arrest the former Kabul Bank chief executive, a key "fraud perpetrator" before the conclusion of his sentence, allegedly in return for a multimillion-dollar campaign donation.

Ayaz Gul/VoA News: https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/us-envoy-slams-afghan-governments-anti-corruption-resolve