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$3.6m to help fight money laundering.  New Zealand Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced a significant boost to support Pacific island countries comply with international anti-money laundering standards. http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/local/item/64871-3-6m-to-help-fight-money-laundering FIJI: Public officer’s judgment deferred for ninth time.  A former public officer’s judgment was deferred for the ninth time in the Suva Magistrates Court. http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/52125/public-officer%E2%80%99s-judgment-deferred-for-ninth-time Former FNU Vice Chancellor’s lawyer writes to court.  The defense counsel in the former Fiji National University Vice-Chancellor’s case claims no court has the right to hear a challenge from any executive decision made. http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/52116/former-fnu-vice-chancellor%E2%80%99s-lawyer-writes-to-court First MP Balmindar Singh arrested by FICAC officers .  Fiji First MP Balmindar Singh was arrested b...

Australian whistleblowers could get access to bounties worth millions .  The Turnbull government is considering a bounty-style reward worth millions of dollars for those who blow the whistle on corruption or unethical behaviour at the hands of multibillion-dollar corporations. Eryk Bagshaw/The Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australian-whistleblowers-could-get-access-to-bounties-worth-millions-20170622-gwwbi3.html Fighting money laundering is good diplomacy for Taiwan (editorial) .  The government announced that from June 28, laws against money laundering will expand to include measures covering relatives of politicians or even acquaintances and extramarital lovers. Taiwan News: http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3194246 Vigorous leader personality appointed to head South Korea's anti-corruption watchdog .  Pak Un-jong, law professor at Seoul National University who has been tapped to head the nation’s anti-corru...

A comprehensive review of objective corruption proxies in public procurement: risky actors, transactions, and vehicles of rent extraction (working paper) .  "This paper can provide a comprehensive review of quantitative corruption proxies, conceptualise how different indicators capture different aspects of corruption, and identify gaps in the measurement landscape." Fazekas, M., Cingolani, L. and Tóth, B. (2016)/Government Transparency Institute: http://www.govtransparency.eu/index.php/2016/08/22/a-comprehensive-review-of-objective-corruption-proxies-in-public-procurement-risky-actors-transactions-and-vehicles-of-rent-extraction/ Curbing corruption in development aid-funded procurement (work in progress) .  "To address [the challenge of ensuring accountability and transparency in the allocation of development funds], we develop an innovative methodology for analysing big data from major aid agencies to calculate more accurate and targeted indicators of corruption ...

Free white paper: Ongoing Monitoring of 3rd Party Relationships--Defining A Risk-Based, Scalable, and Sustainable Approach .  This free white paper from Kroll outlines the steps companies can take and resources they can leverage to define and execute a sustainable approach to third party monitoring. Kroll: http://www.kroll.com/en-us/intelligence-center/reports/ongoing-monitoring-of-third-party-relationships 'Corruption is real in New Zealand, it's happening' .  New Zealand is not as honest and free of corruption as it likes to believe. Gyles Beckford/Radio New Zealand: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/333491/corruption-is-real-in-new-zealand-it-s-happening Cambodia adopts Single Window Customs Clearance System in move to counter corruption .  A one-stop service has been introduced for importers / exporters, with traders now able  to submit import / export documents and pay  any required customs duties and taxes via one of six single-window ser...

Bangladesh infrastructure is world’s costliest, says World Bank . Building infrastructure in Bangladesh is costliest in the world, the World Bank said in a briefing on the national budget, adding that the absence of competition in the bidding process "amounts to corruption." bdnews24: http://bdnews24.com/economy/2017/06/20/bangladesh-infrastructure-is-worlds-costliest-says-world-bank 'Jail tourism' - new mantra to deter officials from corruption .  Take a tour of jail, get a glimpse of the life behind the bars and decide for yourself if you want to indulge in corruption. Rediff News: http://www.rediff.com/news/report/jail-tourism---new-mantra-to-deter-officials-from-corruption/20170620.htm Philippine Ombudsman, hamburger chain launch youth video contest against graft .  The Office of the Ombudsman and Jollibee Foods Corp. have teamed up in the fight against graft and corruption in government and would like the youth to get involved through a Co...

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: Suspended MP cleared of financial charges .  A suspended opposition MP in Fiji, Ratu Isoa Tikoca, says his court acquittal last week is a major win for him politically. http://www.pireport.org/articles/2017/06/20/suspended-fiji-opposition-mp-cleared-financial-charges False diploma lands man in jail .  A 57-year-old man has been sentenced by the Suva Magistrate’s court to ten months imprisonment for corruption related offences. http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/51901/false-diploma-lands-man-in-jail#sthash.h0xZTYJ6.dpuf Pakistani organisation involved in Fiji election ...

A clear message that Hong Kong will not tolerate corruption (opinion) .  Former top government official and property tycoon lost their final appeals against charges of misconduct in public office, despite arguments that theirs was simply a ‘thought crime’ Rafael Hui Si-Yan, former Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong and a former career civil servant/South China Morning Post: http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2099256/clear-message-hong-kong-will-not-tolerate-corruption The ABC of Bribery & Corruption: Deloitte 2017 Australia & New Zealand survey .  Launched 20 June 2017, the Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Survey 2017 confirms that while organisations in Australia and New Zealand appreciate the risks associated with bribery and corruption, their response is slow compared to others worldwide.  Deloitte: https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/media-releases/articles/bribery-corruption-australia-newzealand-survey-200617....

United Kingdom: Ex-EBRD banker jailed for six years for bribery by UK court Jun 21, 2017 08:00 pm A former banker at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was jailed for six years by a top UK court  on Tuesday  for accepting bribes totaling over $3.5 million. Andrey Ryjenko, 44, who has joint UK and Russian... Read More       Spain: Football: Mourinho the latest to fall foul of taxman Jun 21, 2017 07:30 pm Jose Mourinho was yesterday (June 20 2017) accused by Spanish authorities of failing to pay €3.3 million (S$5.1 million) in taxes at Real Madrid, as the Spanish club’s star player Cristiano Ronaldo was summoned to appear before a judge next... Read More       Brazil: Brazilian police deliver graft investigation against Temer Jun 21, 2017 07:00 pm Brazil’s federal police  on Tuesday  delivered to a top court justice the bulk of their investigation into allegations that President Michel Temer took...

Another Chinese region faked fiscal data, anti-corruption agency says .  Some parts of northern China's Inner Mongolia have fabricated fiscal data, China's anti-corruption agency said, making it the third Chinese region exposed for data falsification after the rust-belt provinces of Liaoning and Jilin. Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-data-idUSKBN1930B2?il=0 Bangladesh, Bhutan agree to help fight graft .  The anti-corruption watchdogs of Bangladesh and Bhutan have agreed to share experiences in checking graft in order to ensure good governance. The Financial Express: http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/06/12/73521/BD,-Bhutan-agree-to-help-fight-graft Philippines loses its shock absorber .  Uncertainty for investors as respected central bank chief steps down Nikkei: http://asia.nikkei.com/Viewpoints/William-Pesek/Philippines-loses-its-shock-absorber

Baku hosts meeting of anti-corruption organizations and ombudsmen of ECO member states.   Heads of prosecuting authorities, specialized anti-corruption bodies and ombudspersons of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, the delegation led by the OIC Secretary General, the Executive Secretary of the International Anti-Corruption Academy, and representatives of other international organizations are taking part in the 3rd Meeting of Heads of Anti-Corruption Organizations and Ombudsmen of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), held in Baku. Azeri-Press Information Agency: http://en.apa.az/azerbaijani-news/social-news/baku-hosts-3rd-meeting-of-heads-of-anti-corruption-organizations-and-ombudspersons-of-eco-member-states.html Four datuks detained over alleged corruption .  Six individuals of a government-linked company (GLC) cooperative including four with the honorific title, Datuk, have been detaine...

Vietnamese veterans fight corruption on a ‘war footing’ .  "Nguyễn Tiến Lãng, 79, and Nguyễn Công Uẩn, 80, are war veterans who were willing to sacrifice their lives for the country; both of them were cut to the deep long after the war ended as their countrymen hatched fraudulent schemes to gain social welfare benefits designated for veterans." Viet Nam News: http://vietnamnews.vn/society/377940/veterans-fight-corruption-on-a-war-footing.html#yxYkUtC2I8ywbZRh.97 Al Jazeera wins global media award .  Al Jazeera announces that its Investigative Unit has won the Corruption Reporting Award at the annual One World Media ceremony in London for an exposé on Maldives. Al Jazeera: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/al-jazeera-wins-corruption-reporting-award-170607203212946.html What is [India's Central Bureau of Investigation’s] jurisdiction, when can it conduct raids? (commentary)   India's Central Bureau of Investigation has issued a press release clarifying its stand an...

Are Australia’s Politics Too Easy to Corrupt? (commentary)   "[Australia] is one of the few democracies in the developed world that allows foreign donations, and its campaign finance system makes it easy for donors from anywhere, including Australia, to give and get access, and hide their donations from public sight. Damien Cave/The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/world/australia/china-foreign-donations-tim-winton-melbourne.html?_r=0 How Investors Can Avoid the Corruption Minefield in Asia (commentary)  "East Asia in particular is seeing some decent progress [in anti-corruption] that Asia-focused investors should track." Alex Frew McMillan/The Street: http://realmoney.thestreet.com/articles/06/07/2017/how-investors-can-avoid-corruption-minefield-asia South China Sea, Corruption And Drug Trafficking: Duterte Doesn't Seem To Know What He's Doing (commentary)   "Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is fighting two wars: a diplomatic war in t...

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. Pacific investigators, prosecutors enhance ability to fight corruption.  Investigators, prosecutors and law enforcement officials from across the South Pacific region convened in Nadi, Fiji, for a 3-day meeting organised by the United Nation's Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) to discuss challenges encountered when investigating and prosecuting corruption in the Pacific. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=404527 VANUATU: Vanuatu in hot water over delay in anti-money laundering bills.  MPs in Vanuatu have just a few days left to pass thirteen money bills or risk further in...

Fighting Procurement Corruption: the Essential Role of Bid Challenge Systems (commentary) .  "Whereas civil society monitoring typically relies on public-spirited volunteers unfamiliar with the technical aspects of the procurement, bid challenge systems harness firms’ self-interest and technical knowledge in service of ferreting out procurement corruption." Rick Messick/Gobal Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2017/06/07/fighting-procurement-corruption-the-essential-role-of-bid-challenge-systems/ Nations join global deal to fight tax evasion .  Accord to be signed by some 60 countries, but US opts to negotiate bilaterally Nikkei: http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/Nations-join-global-deal-to-fight-tax-evasion Turning Big Data Into a Useful Anticorruption Tool in Africa (commentary) .  "Many anticorruption advocates are excited about the prospects that 'big data' will help detect and deter graft and other forms ...

China Should Go After Bribe Takers in FCPA Cases (commentary) .  "The reasons why demand-side governments have not stepped up and investigated officialswho have been implicated in FCPA cases may include the lack of political will, the lack of capacity, and lack of inter-governmental cooperation." Yixuan Zhu/Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2017/05/29/china-should-go-after-bribe-takers-in-fcpa-cases/ Entrepreneurs Care About Corruption – Here’s How to Help Them Fight It (commentary) .  "Corruption protects incumbent firms, undermines entrepreneurship, and constrains growth and job creation—particularly by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are often the primary drivers of economic growth, employment, and innovation." Travis Edwards/Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2017/05/22/entrepreneurs-care-about-corruption-heres-how-to-help-them-fight-it/ Pakistan anti-graft agency sets up own ...

Troubled waters (commentary) .  "Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka—which together constitute the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)—are… troubled by poor governance." Som P. Pudasaini, former UNFPA Representative in Sri Lanka and Yemen and Country Director in the Maldives/My Republica:  http://www.myrepublica.com/news/21412/ Indonesia makes its fishing fleet visible to the world through Global Fishing Watch .  The Republic of Indonesia becomes the first nation ever to publish Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data revealing the location and activity of its commercial fishing fleet. phys.org: https://phys.org/news/2017-06-indonesia-fishing-fleet-visible-world.html New Capacity-Building Projects for Ocean Governance. On June 7 (New York time), at an official function of the United Nations Ocean Conference, The Nippon Foundation announced the launch of new human resource capacity-building projects on ocean ...

Governments spend the equivalent of 15-20% of GDP to buy goods, services and infrastructure. Thus the public procurement process involves huge amounts of public funds.  At the same time, it is estimated that between 10-30% of the investment in publicly funded construction projects may be lost through mismanagement and corruption. Governments looking for ways to finance the Sustainable Development Goals, or simply looking for efficiency gains, will get a high return on investment if they tackle integrity risks in government contracts. Tackling these risks not only contributes to better quality of services for the people and stronger infrastructure, but also enables substantial government savings, resulting in increased domestic resources. UNDP has published a new Guidebook on tackling integrity risks in government contracts: An opportunity to unlock resources for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific . The Guidebook is a practical methodology designed to help governments i...

Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan Leader Committed to Anti-Corruption .  Ending Corruption at all levels of government is a priority for Coalition Force Commanders across Afghanistan, who came together May 8, 2017, for the Third Annual European Union Anti-Corruption Conference in Kabul. Sgt. 1st Class E. L. Craig/DVIDS: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/236371/combined-security-transition-command-afghanistan-leader-committed-anti-corruption Singapore's success depends on keeping the country clean and corruption-free, says PM .  While the courts, government, civil servants and the police must maintain the highest levels of professionalism and integrity, the public also plays an important role in ensuring corruption does not become a social norm, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Danson Cheong/Straits Times: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-must-stay-corruption-free-to-succeed-pm-lee Fiji's $12.5m write-off.  Fiji's Economy Ministry has writte...

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. KIRIBATI: Kiribati holds Taiwanese purse seiner crew until fine paid.  A Taiwanese purse seiner has been fined $US4 million dollars for illegal fishing in Kiribati's Phoenix Islands Protected Area. http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/332417/kiribati-holds-taiwanese-purse-seiner-crew-until-fine-paid VANUATU: Court dismisses Constitutional application by former MPs.  Vanuatu Supreme Court Judge JP Geoghegan has dismissed the Constitutional applications filed by 11 former Members of Parliament and one lawyer following the appeal by the Public Prosecutor for retrial. http:...

How Will the New Foreign Exchange Regulation Impact Chinese Tourism?   On June 2, the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) issued  new regulations  for overseas transactions with Chinese bank cards, requiring Chinese banks to report foreign transactions with domestic bank cards, including cash withdrawals, exceeding 1,000 RMB (US$147) to SAFE. Mason Hinsdale/Jing Daily: https://jingdaily.com/new-anti-corruption-impacting-chinese-tourist-spending/ Six-month time to probe corruption cases against Indian government employees .  Changing an over 50-year-old rule, the Indian government has set a deadline of six months to complete probe in corruption cases involving its employees. The Times of India: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/six-month-time-to-probe-corruption-cases-govt-amends-rules/articleshow/59002343.cms

One in three Singapore workers prefer ethical employers .  According to the EY Asia Pacific Fraud Survey 2017, 33% of employees in Singapore would accept a lower salary if it meant working for an ethical employer; Singapore Business Review: http://sbr.com.sg/hr-education/in-focus/one-in-three-singapore-workers-prefer-more-ethical-employers-over-high-salary Chinese Officials to Face Career Restrictions After They Resign .  The new New policy aims to stop civil servants from cashing in favors after they leave office. Zou Yun/Sixth Tone: http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1000267/chinese-officials-to-face-career-restrictions-after-they-resign Indonesia Corruption Watch on Anti-Corruption Performance . Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said in Jakarta that in 2016 the Attorney General topped the list for unveiling corruption cases, the number of suspects and the amount of state loss, with the Police at number two and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at number three. ...

Lokpal bill: BJP govt likely to bring new anti-corruption legislation during Monsoon Session; blames UPA for delay .   Union Minister Jitendra Singh Tuesday said the delay in setting up Lokpal was due to certain "inherent problems" in the legislation as the previous previous UPA regime had drafted it in "haste". First Post: http://www.firstpost.com/india/lokpal-bill-bjp-govt-likely-to-bring-new-anti-corruption-legislation-in-monsoon-session-blames-upa-for-delay-3473898.html Policy Planning Panel to Explore Ways to Stamp Out Corruption in South Korea's Defense Industry .  The chief of the presidential policy planning advisory panel said that it would explore ways to stamp out deep-seated corruption in the defense industry, long blamed for eroding the country’s military capabilities. The Korea Bizwire : http://koreabizwire.com/policy-planning-panel-to-explore-ways-to-stamp-out-corruption-in-defense-industry/83925 MACC guarantees protection for whistle-blowers .  T...

New controls raise the bar in Singapore's fight against corruption but companies must step up (commentary) .  "Singapore's reputation as a 'clean' country…is the result of decades of strong political will to sustain a robust and comprehensive anti-corruption framework, and build a society that frowns on corruption." Belinda Tan & Saket Bhartia/Business Times via Singapore Law Watch: http://www.singaporelawwatch.sg/slw/headlinesnews/102429-new-controls-raise-the-bar-in-fight-against-corruption-but-companies-must-step-up.html#sthash.WSADPdOD.dpbs The unaccountability of [New Zealand's] elites (commentary) .  Part of New Zealand’s democratic deficit relates to a lack of a culture of accountability in public life and governance. Dr. Bryce Edwards/NBR: https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/nz-politics-daily-unaccountability-elites Laos continues pursuit in fighting corruption .  Laos is pursuing more capacity building in the development of both its legislation and ...

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: Viliame Katia sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.  Former Official Deputy Receiver Viliame Katia has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by Suva Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne. http://fijivillage.com/news/Viliame-Katia-sentenced-to-14-years-imprisonment-295skr/ Bitu found guilty of corruption handed suspended sentence.  A former Chief Administration Officer at the Ministry of Finance who has been found guilty of two counts of corruption-related offences, has been handed down a suspended sentence. http://fijivillage.com/news/Bitu-found-guilty-of-corruption-handed-suspended-sen...