China / Maldives / India

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INFO: China military sets up corruption hotline
The Chinese military has set up a hotline and a mailbox for people to report corruption and other misconduct, according to the Discipline Inspection Commission under the Central Military Commission.
Read the story by Zhao Lei, in China Daily USA. http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2016-02/16/content_23504381.htm

INFO: 'Evidence' allegedly links Maldives' graft embattled govt to $1.5 bln cash import
Allegations of mass corruption and embezzlement surrounding the government intensified after documents linking top state officials to USD1.5 billion cash brought in from the Middle East were leaked to local media.
Read the story by Mohamed Visham, in Haveeru. http://www.haveeru.com.mv/president_yamin/66417

COMMENTARY: An [Indian] economist’s radical idea for lowering petty corruption
"According to India’s main anti-bribery law, the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, bribe-taking and bribe-giving are equally wrong. In the event of conviction, both the taker (usually a public servant) and the giver are equally punishable. … Note that under the current law, once a bribe has been paid, the interests of the bribe giver and the taker become fully aligned. … This could be changed by [declaring] the act of giving a bribe legal while continuing to hold the act of taking a bribe illegal. If needs be, we could double up the punishment for taking a bribe, so that the total magnitude of punishment remains the same. Further, once the bribery has been proven, the bribe taker will be required to return the bribe to the giver."

Read the excerpt from the book by former Chief Economic Advisor Kaushik Basu, in Scroll. http://scroll.in/article/803653/an-economists-radical-idea-for-lowering-petty-corruption

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