World Bank new report / Philippines e-governance bill / IMF COVID-19 policy

Working in partnership is key to fighting corruption (Blog and Report).  “The World Bank’s new report Enhancing Government Effectiveness and Transparency: The Fight Against Corruption… highlights the importance of complementing the traditional methods of dealing with corruption with advanced ones like GovTech, e-Procurement, Asset and Income Disclosure, and Beneficiary Ownership, which have been used in countries like Somalia, Bangladesh, Colombia, Ukraine and Romania, amongst others.”

World Bank: https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/working-partnership-key-fighting-corruption  

Direct link to report: https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/235541600116631094/enhancing-government-effectiveness-and-transparency-the-fight-against-corruption

 

Dominguez supports e-governance proposal.  “[Philippine] Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III is throwing support behind the proposed measure seeking to digitalize all government agency services provided to the public…[he] said that Senate Bill (SB) No. 1738 or the “E-Governance Act of 2020” underscores the importance of switching to electronic governance to cut red tape, upgrade the delivery of services to the people and curb corruption in the system.”

Chino S. Leyco/Manila Bulletin: https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/28/dominguez-supports-e-governance-proposal/

 

Tracking the trillions: 6-month checkup on IMF’s COVID-19 emergency aid (Blog).  “In exchange for emergency assistance from the IMF, most governments have committed to abide by basic transparency and good governance measures, such as publishing contracts and conducting independent audits…The IMF should not let its recent improvements make it complacent about corruption.”

Sarah Saadoun, M. Emilia Berazategui, and Simon Taylor/Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/tracking-the-trillions-6-month-checkup-on-imfs-covid-19-emergency-aid

Indonesia omnibus bill / Nepal fertilizer procurement / China critic jailed

Purging corruption, corrupt officials key to effective omnibus bill: Experts.  “Indonesia needs to address corruption to improve public services so that the job creation omnibus bill can bring about the significant changes necessary to attracting investment, experts say.”

Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/09/23/purging-corruption-corrupt-officials-key-to-effective-omnibus-bill-experts.html

 

Corruption and Nepal’s chronic fertilizer crisis (Commentary).  “It is nothing new that Nepal’s farmers this year faced an acute fertiliser shortage. That there were kickbacks involved is also not a revelation… it is bound to happen again next year because there is no political will to tackle the root of the problem —  collusion between government officials and their cronies to siphon the allocated budget and profit from payoffs.”

Kaustubh Dhital/Nepali Times: https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/corruption-and-nepals-chronic-fertiliser-crisis/

 

Chinese tycoon and Xi critic jailed for 18 years for corruption.  Ren Zhiqiang, a Chinese real estate tycoon, once an elite among the ruling Communist Party’s inner circle, and an outspoken critic of President Xi Jinping was jailed for 18 years for "corruption, bribery and embezzlement of public funds", a court statement said.

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1989719/chinese-tycoon-and-xi-critic-jailed-for-18-years-for-corruption  

UN FACTI report / Philippines Ombudsman policy / New KickBack podcast

Corruption and tax-dodging ‘rampant’, urgent reforms needed: UN panel.  “According to the [High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity to Achieve the 2030 Development Agenda (FACTI Panel)] report, diverted resources that could be used for the poor include $500 billion in Governments losses annually from profit-shifting enterprises; $7 trillion in private wealth hidden in haven countries – with 10 per cent of world GDP held offshore; and some $1.6 trillion in money laundering each year.”

UN News: https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/09/1073442

 

Under Ombudsman Martires, no lifestyle checks, less criminal treatment of cases.  “Martires revealed these details…as he appealed to the House of Representatives to restore his office’s 2021 budget to the originally proposed of P4.6 billion (approx. US$94 mil)…One of the affected item in the budget cut was Personnel Services (PS), which Martires said would derail his plan of putting up a separate bureau that would solely handle the administrative aspects of a corruption case [separating it from criminal aspects].”

Lian Buan/Rappler: https://rappler.com/nation/ombudsman-under-martires-no-lifestyle-checks-less-criminal-treatment-cases

 

New Podcast Episode, Featuring James Wasserstrom (Blog/Podcast).  “In our interview, Mr. Wasserstrom and I discuss his experience as a UN whistleblower, the flaws in the UN’s whistleblower protection system, and what if anything can be done. We also discuss Mr. Wasserstrom’s ideas for providing more international support for whistleblowers in hostile environment, including his new proposal for an “integrity sanctuary” program.

Matthew Stephenson/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/09/22/new-podcast-episode-featuring-james-wasserstrom/

Japan Olympics bribery / FinCEN Files implications / Pakistan land corruption

Tokyo Olympics consulting firm paid ¥37 million to IOC member's son, papers show.  “A consulting firm for the Tokyo Olympic bid committee transferred some ¥37 million ($370,000) to the son of one-time influential IOC member Lamine Diack and his company before and after the Japanese capital was picked in September 2013 as the host city”

The Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/09/21/national/tokyo-olympics-consulting-firm-ioc-lamine-diack/

 

FinCEN files: overhaul to global anti-money laundering system needed (Statement).  “the problem is actually bigger than the FinCEN Files show. We know that most of the banks involved in major corruption scandals from the past few years didn’t even file [Suspicious Activity Reports], or only did so when details had already emerged in the media,” according to Maira Martini, Research and Policy Expert on Corrupt Money Flows at Transparency International.

Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/press/fincen-files-overhaul-to-global-anti-money-laundering-system-needed  

 

Several PLRA officials face inquiries over corruption, fraud.  In Pakistan, the “Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) is going through a major overhaul, as a number of its officials are facing probes for allegedly attesting fraudulent mutations, preparing fake tax and municipal fee vouchers/receipts, receiving heavy bribes from beneficiaries and other irregularities across the province.”

Khalid Hasnain/Dawn: https://www.dawn.com/news/1580788

FinCEN Files explainer / Public spending future / Anti-corruption and human rights

FinCEN Files: All you need to know about the documents leak (Explainer).  “Leaked documents involving about $2tn of transactions have revealed how some of the world's biggest banks have allowed criminals to move dirty money around the world…Why does this matter?...Laundering money is the process of taking dirty money - the proceeds of crimes such as drug dealing or corruption - and getting it into an account at a respected bank where it will not be linked with the crime.”

BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54226107  

 

The future of public spending: responses to COVID-19.  “In a follow-up essay to The Economist Intelligence Unit’s recent report on public spending and the Sustainable Development Goals, this essay examines the implications of the current crisis, the opportunity it presents for rethinking procurement and the renewed importance of effective and sustainable public spending as countries re-open, recover and rebuild.”

The Economist Intelligence Unit: https://unops.economist.com/the-future-of-public-spending-responses-to-covid-19/    

 

Connecting the anti-corruption and human rights agendas: A guide for business and employers’ organisations (Resource).  “This guide has the following aims: (1) To compare and analyse the anti-corruption and human rights agendas to help businesses…understand the synergies and differences…(2) To contribute to emerging policy discussions…(3) To support those working on corruption risk and…human rights risks in companies with practical tips…(4) To provide users of this guie with an overview of…resources”

Business at OECD and International Organisation of Employers: https://www.ioe-emp.org/index.php?eID=dumpFile&t=f&f=147731&token=c0fecaf2120d7faf7e4214377a1754ab8170fd88    

Blockchain anti-corruption applications / India post-lockdown cases / Nepal anti-corruption performance

Bribery gets blocked: Stamping out corruption with blockchain tech (Opinion).  “Three key uses of blockchain technology in the fight to alleviate government corruption consistently emerge throughout all expert accounts: authentication of transactions, registry of official records such as ownership rights, and identity verification.”

Kirill Bryanov/Cointelegraph: https://cointelegraph.com/news/bribery-gets-blocked-stamping-out-corruption-with-blockchain-tech

 

Post unlocking, surge in anti-corruption cases in Maharashtra.  “[India’s] statistics reveal that the two lockdown months of April and May saw a reduction of 88 per cent and 61 per cent in Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cases compared to the similar period in 2019…“During Covid-19 lockdown, there was a less number of working staff everywhere including in the ACB office. So naturally, the cases came down,” said Bansode [ACB’s superintendent of police]”

Nadeem Inamdar/Hindustan Times: https://www.hindustantimes.com/pune-news/post-unlocking-surge-in-anti-corruption-cases-in-maharashtra/story-47V58o3XicOmk5xN9mlJfO.html

 

I will not involve in corruption, and I won’t let others to do so: PM Oli.  Nepal’s Prime Minister “presented data of government authorities working in controlling the abuse of authority, corruption and irregularities after he came to power some two years ago. “The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed 792 cases in the last two years. Similarly, the Department of Revenue Investigation has filed cases against 1027 people on revenue leakage, foreign exchange fraud and illicit financial transactions (hundi), claiming a total of NRs. 31.05 billion in fines,” said PM Oli.”

MyRepublica: https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/i-will-not-involve-in-corruption-and-i-won-t-let-others-to-do-so-says-pm-oli/  

World Bank webinar / Thailand health clinics / Malaysia whistleblower fired

Enhancing government effectiveness & transparency: The fight against corruption (Webinar).  “The World Bank has undertaken a fresh assessment of challenges governments face in tackling corruption, what instruments tend to work and why, and how incremental progress is being achieved in specific country contexts. This flagship report is a timely piece of work that shows positive examples of how countries are progressing in their fight to #EndCorruption.”

World Bank: https://live.worldbank.org/enhancing-government-effectiveness-transparency-fight-against-corruption?cid=ECR_E_NewsletterWeekly_EN_EXT&deliveryName=DM78486

 

64 clinics cut off over alleged graft.  “[Thailand’s] National Health Security Office (NHSO) has terminated contracts with 64 clinics and hospitals for their alleged involvement in graft, and asked 800,000 patients affected by the contract terminations to seek state medical care and services at nearby partner clinics.”

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1988003/64-clinics-cut-off-over-alleged-graft  

 

Company deputy director charged with sacking whistleblower who exposed him.  “A deputy director of a Higher Education Ministry-owned company was …[charged] with causing a whistleblower who exposed the former's misconduct to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to be sacked.”

New Straits Times: https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2020/09/625487/company-deputy-director-charged-sacking-whistleblower-who-exposed