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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...

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 resi...

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 elect...

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 - Vol...

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 cart...

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...

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...

Build, build, build and corruption (editorial) .  "Naysayers are creating a ruckus saying President Rodrigo Duterte's P8.4-trillion Dutertenomics of 'Build, build, build' will shackle the country in debt for generations to come." Sun Star Davao: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/opinion /2017/05/16/editorial-build-build-build-and-corruption-542310 Survey: Companies losing business to corruption risk .  More companies are choosing to cease business with certain partners, while others say they’ve lost business over the last year, because of corruption risk, finds a recent global anti-corruption survey. Jaclyn Jaeger/Compliance Week: https://www.complianceweek.com/blogs/the-filing-cabinet/survey-companies-losing-business-to-corruption-risk-0 Korea anti-corruption body hosts global ombudsman events .  Officials at Asia's ombudsman organizations have been sharing their experiences and discussing ways to bolster cooperation in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. Y...

Malaysia launches new anti corruption initiative . Dzulkifli Ahmad, head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), said MACC has launched the Anti-Corruption Revolution Movement (Gerah) a new initiative to enhance the country’s fight against corruption by creating major and drastic changes in Malaysian people, ensuring they see corruption as their number one enemy. Vietnam Plus: http://en.vietnamplus.vn/malaysia-launches-new-anti-corruption-initiative/111352.vnp Singapore Adopts ISO Standard on Anti-Bribery Management Systems .  Singapore launched the Singapore Standard (SS) ISO 37001 on Anti-bribery management systems on 12 April 2017, following a public consultation from February to March 2016 on the adoption of the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO)'s new set of voluntary standards (designated as ISO 37001) for anti-bribery compliance. Baker McKenzie/Lexology: http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c7967097-c5b6-406d-a270-71d0de5a7434 Donor urg...

Quality of governance affects development outcomes, reveals UN ESCAP survey .  The survey finds that better governance and effective fiscal management in Asia-Pacific not only can improve long-term economic prospects, but also facilitate in grappling with social and environmental concerns. Daily Mirror: http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Quality-of-governance-affects-development-outcomes-reveals-UN-ESCAP-survey-128621.html Bangladesh's top graft-buster says bureaucracy is biggest barrier .  Anti-corruption Commission Chief Iqbal Mahmud has identified the bureaucracy as the 'biggest problem' in the battle against graft. bdnews24: http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2017/05/09/bangladesh-s-top-graft-buster-says-bureaucracy-is-biggest-barrier Publication available: Bespoke Monitoring and Evaluation of Anti-Corruption Agencies (U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre at Chr. Michelsen Institute) .  This U4 Brief, which draws largely on the 2011 U4 Issue How to Monitor and Evaluate ...

Quality of governance affects development outcomes, reveals UN ESCAP survey .  The survey finds that better governance and effective fiscal management in Asia-Pacific not only can improve long-term economic prospects, but also facilitate in grappling with social and environmental concerns. Daily Mirror: http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Quality-of-governance-affects-development-outcomes-reveals-UN-ESCAP-survey-128621.html Bangladesh's top graft-buster says bureaucracy is biggest barrier .  Anti-corruption Commission Chief Iqbal Mahmud has identified the bureaucracy as the 'biggest problem' in the battle against graft. bdnews24: http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2017/05/09/bangladesh-s-top-graft-buster-says-bureaucracy-is-biggest-barrier Publication available: Bespoke Monitoring and Evaluation of Anti-Corruption Agencies (U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre at Chr. Michelsen Institute) .  This U4 Brief, which draws largely on the 2011 U4 Issue How to Monitor ...

On December 21, 2016, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Finance approved a  whistleblowing program  as part of the Nigerian government’s continued efforts to fight corruption. Key features of the program include the launch of an  online portal  for submission of tips and the establishment of a reward for “information that directly leads to the voluntary return of stolen or concealed public funds or assets” (the reward is 2.5 to 5% of the amount recovered, with the  percentage  decreasing as the amounts recovered increases). As over  $176 million  in stolen funds was recovered within the first two months of the program, the whistleblowing policy appears to be an overnight success story. Nevertheless, although stolen funds are indeed being recovered, the existing policy does not do enough to offset the  risks  that whistleblowers face when they come forward with information, and this deficiency may limit the long-term effectiveness of the prog...

United States: ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Producer in Talks to Settle 1MDB Suit May 19, 2017 08:00 pm The producer of “The Wolf of Wall Street” is in talks with the U.S. Justice Department to settle a lawsuit alleging the movie was funded by money siphoned from a Malaysian state investment fund, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). Lawyers for... Read More       Brazil: Brazil’s stock market plunges after corruption claims May 19, 2017 07:30 pm Brazil’s Bovespa stock market was briefly halted as investors reacted to corruption allegations against Brazilian President Michel Temer. Stocks plunged more than 10% at the start of trading, prompting circuit breakers to kick in and halt dealings. President Temer was... Read More       Asia: Soccer: New head of integrity asks AFC to probe Lai charges May 19, 2017 07:00 pm Newly appointed independent Head of Integrity Mohammad Ali Al Kamali has asked the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to probe circumstances surrounding t...

Corruption in the news this week Spain in focus Spain :  Spain’s never-ending corruption problem Politico (18 May) Spanish institutions have failed to prevent graft. Its judges are trying to clean up the mess.   Spain :  Spain urged to deal with systemic corruption by international watchdog The Olive Press (19 May, TI mention) Transparency International have slammed Spain for its ‘systemic corruption’.   Not really understanding your job Tajikistan :  Bunker found with bags of money, gold and 6 cars belonging to employee of anti-corruption agency in Tajikistan AKI Press (18 May)   Tanzania :  Tanzania freezes assets of anti-graft official over suspected corruption Reuters (18 May)   Other news China :  China’s new anti-corruption body raises worrying questions about the rule of law The Conversation (17 May)   Cyprus :  New life in Limassol: If you can’t launder Russian money, then launder the Russian Bloomberg (15 May)  ...

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. COOK ISLANDS: Move to seize MP's assets .  An application has been made to the Civil Division of the High Court to seize the assets of Aitutaki Village Ltd, a company owned by jailed former One Cook Islands leader and MP Teina Bishop. http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/64419-move-to-seize-bishop-assets FIJI: Ex-police executive to take plea next month .  Former Police Director CID Luke Rawalai who is charged by FICAC with three counts of abuse of office and two counts of re...

Brazil: Brazil police launch new agribusiness inspection probes May 17, 2017 08:00 pm One of the two newly launched probes involves an alleged scheme to delay or cancel fines in in return for some 3 million reais ($965,000) in bribes between 2010 and 2016, police said. Meatpacker Minerva is among the companies targeted... Read More       Australia: Miners BHP Billiton, Woodside, Orica warn investments at risk from proposed foreign bribery laws May 17, 2017 07:30 pm Mining giants BHP Billiton, Woodside and Orica have warned the federal government against going too far in strengthening Australia’s foreign bribery laws, saying it could put local companies at risk and prevent them from taking up new investments overseas. In submissions as... Read More       Hong Kong: Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying admits intervening in probe into HK$50 million payment May 17, 2017 07:00 pm Hong Kong’s leader  on Tuesday  denied any wrongdoing as he admitt...