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Showing posts from November, 2016

Bangladesh youth / Vietnam pay raise / Philippine firearms

Get AP-INTACT posts on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/apintactnetwork ) If a link below does not work, please copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar instead. Bangladesh youth speak to Global Shapers Survey: corruption, instability affect country most .  The government's lack of accountability and transparency or corruption is the most serious issue affecting Bangladesh right now, according to World Economic Forum's Global Shapers Annual Survey 2016. The Daily Star: http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/youths-speak-global-shapers-survey-corruption-instability-affect-country-most-1313521 Vietnam to give public sector wage raise next year .  Vietnam’s top legislative body, the National Assembly, approved a government’s proposal to raise wages for Vietnamese civil servants and public employees, including teachers and doctors, by 7.4 percent from July 2017. Hoai Thu/VN Express: http://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnam-to-give-public-sector-7-4-percent-wage-raise-next

Mongolia workshop / Singapore poor score / OECD call for papers

Get AP-INTACT posts on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/apintactnetwork ) If a link below does not work, please copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar instead. OSCE begins work with Mongolian law enforcement bodies to design anti-corruption training programs .  A four-day workshop for Mongolian law enforcement personnel focusing on ways to strengthen professional integrity and tackle corruption started in Ulaanbaatar on November 8. AKI Press: http://akipress.com/news:584874/ Singapore’s Poor Score on the “Illicit Trade Index” .  "While there is no surprise in seeing Australia and New Zealand scoring highly in [the Economist Intelligence Unit's] 'Illicit Trade Environment Index', and developing countries such as Lao or Myanmar scoring poorly, an intriguing finding is the relatively poor performance by the city-state of Singapore which shares 7th place with Taiwan." Schmitt & Orlov/Lexology: http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c62051b1-c4

Sri Lanka e-procurement / Japan foreign bribery / Asia-Pacific ethics

Get AP-INTACT posts on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/apintactnetwork ) If a link below does not work, please copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar instead. E-procurement seen reducing corruption, costs in Sri Lanka .  Shifting to an electronic procurement system could yield big efficiency gains for both the government and private sectors in Sri Lanka, cutting costs, improving transparency and fairness in tenders, and reducing corruption, according to Verité Research. Economy next: http://www.economynext.com/E_procurement_seen_reducing_corruption,_costs_in_Sri_Lanka-3-6658.html Recent Developments in Japanese Enforcement of Foreign Bribery Laws .  In recent years, Japan has been under increasing scrutiny and pressure from the international community regarding its enforcement of its anti-corruption laws. Ropes & Gray LLP/Lexology: http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=d8f10528-27bf-4b74-9aa1-4f96e83bfc10 Guide to business ethics and anti-corruption: Asia Pac

Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates – 26 Nov 2016: Fiji, PNG, Vanuatu, Tonga

Get AP-INTACT posts on Twitter (https://twitter.com/apintactnetwork) 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. FIJI: Kamlesh Arya charged with abuse of office.   Former politician and Registrar of the University of Fiji Kamlesh Arya has been charged by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption with one count of abuse of office and one count of general dishonesty causing a loss. http://fijivillage.com/news/Kamlesh-Arya-charged-by-FICAC-with-abuse-of-office-ksr529 Former sugar boss faces probe.   The Sugar Ministry has ordered an investigation into alle

Philippines forest crimes / Nepal-Bhutan ripples / Asian football corruption

Get AP-INTACT posts on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/apintactnetwork ) If a link below does not work, please copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar instead. UN office, Philippine Ombud workshop on forest crimes mitigation .  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in partnership with the Ombudsman, conducted a two-day activity aimed at strengthening regional cooperation to mitigate corruption risks in wildlife and forest crimes. Izobelle Dungo/Cebu Daily News: http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/111908/un-office-ombud-finalize-workshop-on-forest-crimes-mitigation Nepal and Bhutan Feel Ripples from Modi’s War on Corruption .  "On Wednesday morning, the residents of India’s neighbouring countries, such as Bhutan and Nepal, woke up to realise that they too were affected by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to tackle black money and corruption in India." Devirupa Mitra/The Wire: http://thewire.in/79001/nepal-and-bhutan-feel-ripples-from-modis-war-on

Sri Lanka weakness / Job opportunity / Demonetisation lessons

Get AP-INTACT posts on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/apintactnetwork ) If a link below does not work, please copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar instead. Verité identifies weakness in Sri Lanka’s public procurement .  Verité Research, a private think tank, has identified three key weaknesses in public procurement in Sri Lanka. Lanka Business Online: http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/verite-identifies-weakness-in-sri-lankas-public-procurement/ Job opportunity: Communications Consultant – Individual Contractor . UNDP is looking for a communications professional to tell stories from the frontlines of climate change in Asia-Pacific. To apply or know more, please visit: https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=69563 AP-INTACT shares this information strictly as a service to members. To apply or know more, visit the relevant link in the message. Please do not send your query or application to AP-INTACT. AP-INTACT is not responsible for the accuracy of the posted

Corruption research workshop / Taiwan law amendment / New China agency

Get AP-INTACT posts on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/apintactnetwork ) If a link below does not work, please copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar instead. Workshop on Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods on Corruption and their Application .  The Basel Institute on Governance announces the opening of registrations for its upcoming workshop on "Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods on Corruption and their Application” to be held on 16-18 January 2017 in Basel, Switzerland. For  further details on the programme and registration requirements please visit https://www.baselgovernance.org/research-workshop or send an email to claudia.baez-camargo@baselgovernance.org. Thank you to Gretta Fenner, Managing Director, Basel Institute on Governance, for sharing this information. AP-INTACT shares this information strictly as a service to members. To apply or know more, visit the relevant link in the message. Please do not send your query or application to A

Afghanistan report / Call for proposals / Pashto translation

Get AP-INTACT posts on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/apintactnetwork ) If a link below does not work, please copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar instead. Fighting Corruption in Afghanistan: Solving the Institutional Puzzle (report) .  Integrity Watch Afghanistan launched this report on 14th November 2016, indicating that institutional arrangements to fight corruption are against the National Unity Government’s London Conference commitments and United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) as well as the Jakarta Principles on Anti-Corruption Agencies. Sayed Ikram Afzali & Mohammad Naser Timory/Integrity Watch Afghanistan: https://iwaweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Solving-the-Institutional-Puzzle.pdf United Nations Democracy Fund call for proposals et al.   The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF)’s annual call for project proposals is open from 18 November 2016 to 18 December 2016. Project proposals may be submitted on-line in English or French at www

US Courts’ Evaluation of Foreign Judicial Corruption: Different Stages, Different Standards

Last August, a US appeals court may have finally brought to a close a case that the court described as “among the most extensively chronicled in the history of the American federal judiciary”: a lawsuit, initially filed in 1993, seeking damages for adverse environmental and health consequences of oil exploration and drilling by Texaco (later acquired by Chevron) in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Chevron and the plaintiffs each have their own version of the long, complicated, and contentious litigation. (For a concise, relatively balanced summary see here .) For present purposes, the essential facts are as follows: After eight years of US litigation, in 2001 Chevron persuaded a US court to send the case to Ecuador. In 2011, after an additional decade of litigation in Ecuador, the Ecuadorian courts ultimately found in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering Chevron to pay an $18.5 billion judgment (later reduced to $9 billion). Unfortunately for the plaintiffs, Chevron doesn’t have any

From: Transparency International - Daily Corruption News - 21 Nov 2016

21 November 2016 Today's top story Malaysia: Bersih 5 protest: Fresh clampdown on Malaysian activists won't work, say critics CNBC Malaysia's government is attempting to quash political activism through new security laws and fresh arrests. But its critics say the extreme measures only reveal the extent of Prime Minister Najib Razak's authoritarian regime. More news Nigeria: Nigerian Supreme Court judge charged with corruption BBC South Africa: President Jacob Zuma urged to report corrupt politicians Newsweek South Korea: Prosecutors to investigate South Korean President in corruption scandal NPR Spain: Spaniards’ concerns about corruption soar under PM Mariano Rajoy El País (TI mention)

From: Ethical Alliance Daily News - 21 Nov 2016

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  Australia: Rio Tinto in spotlight as Australia fraud police targets resources industry Nov 21, 2016 08:00 pm Facing international pressure to get tougher on corruption, Australian authorities say they are targeting the resources industry but have yet to be formally asked to look into a high-profile probe into payments at miner Rio Tinto. A senior official at... Read More     South Korea: South Korea prosecutors say President Park was accomplice in corruption scandal Nov 21, 2016 07:30 pm South Korean prosecutors said on Sunday that they believed President Park Geun-hye was an accomplice in a corruption scandal that has rocked her administration, in a heavy blow to her fight for political survival. The prosecutors’ comments, which came as... Read More     Croatia: Interpol Drops Pursuit of Mol CEO as Croatian Trial Looms Nov 21, 2016 07:00 pm Interpol removed Mol Nyrt. Chief Executive Officer Zsolt Hernadi from its wanted list, ending a three-year pursuit requested by

TI-USA issues key recommendations for new administration to avoid conflicts of interest

Transparency International-USA, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening integrity and combating corruption in the United States and internationally, urges President-elect Donald J. Trump to strictly enforce, without exceptions, a conflict of interest policy for his transition team members and appointees. “The president-elect has an early and excellent opportunity to make good on his campaign promise to run a government that works for the people and not for the political class. The transition team putting in place a code of ethics is an important step. Establishing a transparent transition operation that maintains a zero-tolerance policy on conflicts of interest should be a top priority,” said Claudia Dumas, President of TI-USA. The potential conflicts of interest the president-elect’s global business holdings present make setting high standards for transparency imperative. By embracing the spirit of transparency, integrity, and accountabilit

From: Transparency International - Daily Corruption News - 18 Nov 2016

18 November 2016 Today's top story Global: JPMorgan fined for hiring kids of China's elite to win business CNN JPMorgan Chase (JPM) improperly hired the "unqualified" children of China's ruling elite to win lucrative business from the country's key decision makers, authorities alleged on Thursday . More news Global: Rigging the bids The Economist Brazil: Could Brazil's Congress sink giant anti-corruption drive? Agence France-Presse Czech Republic: Poll: One-tenth of Czechs bribed civil serv

From: Ethical Alliance Daily News - 18 Nov 2016

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  France: France investigating 500 taxpayers after Panama Papers leaks Nov 18, 2016 08:00 pm The French government is investigating the tax records of about 560 taxpayers based on leaked documents from a Panamian law firm. The budget office of the Finance Ministry said Thursday its experts have studied the leaked information and are now... Read More     Brazil: Brazil arrests former Rio governor in corruption probe Nov 18, 2016 07:30 pm The former governor of Rio de Janeiro state was arrested on Thursday as part of a corruption investigation linked to a World Cup project and other works worth billions of dollars, in a blow to Brazil’s ruling party that may... Read More     United States: Ex-Valeant executive, ex-pharmacy CEO charged for fraud scheme Nov 18, 2016 07:00 pm A former Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc ( VRX.TO ) executive and the former CEO of mail order pharmacy Philidor Rx Services were arrested on Thursday on charges that they engaged in a multimil