Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates (19 Jan 2019): Fiji, PNG, Vanuatu, Nauru

-

Pacific links: “You’re my best friend”

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/pacific-links-you-re-my-best-friend

 

FIJI:

Prime Fiji ‘Has A Case To Answer’.  Magistrate Deepika Prakash has ruled that contractor Prime Fiji has a case to answer in the mat­ter brought by the Fiji Independ­ent Commission Cor­ruption (FICAC).

https://fijisun.com.fj/2019/01/16/prime-fiji-has-a-case-to-answer/

Case of former Vodafone Fiji staff deferred to March. The Against former Vodafone employee is charged with two counts of bribery and one count of obtaining financial advantage

https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/court/case-of-former-vodafone-fiji-staff-deferred-to-march/

Issues raised with Fiji Code of Conduct Bill. A proposed law in Fiji which would jail or fine people found making a malicious complaint about a public official is ridiculous and curious, a prominent Suva lawyer says.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/380147/issues-raised-with-fiji-code-of-conduct-bill

 

PNG:

PNG failing to confront human rights issues – HRW. "We are seeing the pervasive problems of corruption, land confiscation without adequate compensation, gender based violence, police abuse, prison over-crowding - all of these are key challenges," Ms. Pearson said.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/380359/png-failing-to-confront-human-rights-issues-hrw

Bougainville public servants called on to lift their game. It comes amid a Papua New Guinea Fraud Squad investigation into allegations of corruption and misappropriation by government workers.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/379959/bougainville-public-servants-called-on-to-lift-their-game

PNG super fund praises official after charges dropped. Papua New Guinea's national superannuation agency, NASFUND, says its chief investment officer was arrested for doing his job - enquiring into one of the companies it had invested in.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/380153/png-super-fund-praises-official-after-charges-dropped

 

VANUATU:

Vanuatu committee to consider pardoning former MPs. Vanuatu's justice minister has set up a committee to consider pardoning former members of parliament.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/380164/vanuatu-committee-to-consider-pardoning-former-mps

Vanuatu police warn about seasonal work scammers. Vanuatu's Police Fraud Unit has warned about scammers targeting seasonal workers, saying it has a number of registered cases related to this area.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/380230/vanuatu-police-warn-about-seasonal-work-scammers

Air Vanuatu bringing in ID checks on domestic flights. A statement from Air Vanuatu confirmed that ID checks will be introduced due to a high incidence of identity fraud in past years.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/380033/air-vanuatu-bringing-in-id-checks-on-domestic-flights

76% of people surveyed do not understand national budget.  76% of the people who were interviewed for the Citizens Budget Research Project spearheaded by Transparency International Vanuatu (TIV)said they do not know the national budget.

http://dailypost.vu/news/of-people-surveyed-do-not-understand-national-budget/article_7deb69c4-2b11-50d6-9ad9-228220812ed4.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

 

NAURU:

Nauru doctor wins global free speech award for speaking out on offshore immigration. A doctor on Nauru who blew the whistle on the deliberate medical neglect of refugees and asylum seekers on the island has been awarded a global award for free speech.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/17/nauru-doctor-wins-global-free-speech-award-for-speaking-out-on-offshore-immigration

 

To know more about the UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Project please contact the team members:

Annika Wythes, Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser, UNODC, annika.wythes@un.org

Mihaela Stojkoska, Anti-Corruption Specialist - Pacific, UNDP, mihaela.stojkoska@undp.org

Maria Lee, Peace & Development Administrative Assistant, UNDP/UNODC, maria.lee@undp.org

Popular posts from this blog

Middle East & North Africa - Ukraine - Sri Lanka

-
Corruption fuels ongoing conflict. The Middle East and North Africa has been in a decline on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for years. The region is also ranked as the "least peaceful region" according to the Global Peace Index. Transparency International (TI) argues that corruption, conflict, and security are profoundly intertwined. TI: https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2022-middle-east-north-africa-corruption-fuels-ongoing-conflict   [Opinion] Ukraine's corruption purge is setting the stage for private investment-driven recovery. Corruption is regarded as a key threat to the Ukrainian economy, depriving public budgets and discouraging foreign direct investments (FDI). The current administration has taken strong anti-corruption action, and the country has witnessed a significant increase in FDI in recent years, says author. DevDiscourse: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2353089-ukraines-corruption-purge-setting-stage-...
Read more

The Pacific - Nepal - Eastern Europe & Central Asia

-
[Blog] How are perceptions of corruption in seven small Pacific countries? Larger Pacific Island neighbors are often garnering the lion's share of attention both from researchers and policy makers. How are the experiences of corruption in countries like Tuvalu, Tokelau, Niue, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), The Cook Islands, Palau, and Nauru? DevPolicy Blog: https://devpolicy.org/perceptions-of-corruption-in-seven-small-pacific-island-countries-20230223/   [Opinion] Two decades of new anti-corruption law in Nepal: Why it missed its mark. According to a Nepalese journalist, the Anti-Corruption law and Prevention of Corruption act of 2002 laid the foundation for numerous investigations, scandals, and court cases. To a large extent, they did however fail to enable significant conviction and return of assets. Online Khabar: https://english.onlinekhabar.com/anti-corruption-law-missing-target.html   [Blog] Growing security risks and authorit...
Read more

Global - Sub-Saharan Africa - Turkey & Syria

-
Invisible Trillions review: Global capitalism operates beyond the rule of law and threatens democracy. Raymond W. Baker's new book "Invisible Trillions" argues that "secrecy has become as important for corporations as transparent and taxable profits used to be". "Only radical improvements across the globe in financial transparency and accountability, and in regulatory capacity and integrity, can break this cycle of political decay and despair". The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/invisible-trillions-review-global-capitalism-operates-beyond-the-rule-of-law-and-threatens-democracy-199311   [Blog] The dynamics of violent extremism in sub-Saharan Africa. There is no better environment for the expansion of violent extremist groups than a vacuum in state authority. These groups begin to compete with the state and may even be initially attractive to communities weary of years of lawlessness, corruption, and chaos according to autho...
Read more