Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates (9 March 2019): PNG, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Samoa, Solomon Islands

-

PNG:

Plea made for people to stay firm on war on corruption.  Transparency International PNG is encouraging people to fight corruption by reporting to its Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC).

https://www.thenational.com.pg/plea-made-for-people-to-stay-firm-on-war-on-corruption/

Legal aid outreach in EHP. Transparency International (TIPNG) was recently in Goroka town to report corruption to its Advocacy & Legal Advice Centre (ALAC). 

http://www.looppng.com/png-news/legal-aid-outreach-ehp-82935

 

FIJI:

Festival Committee Members on Probe.  Organising committee members of festival have come under the spotlight for allegedly misusing funds.

https://fijisun.com.fj/2019/03/03/festival-committee-members-on-probe/

Represent yourselves or get a new lawyer; Cypriots told.  Two Cyprus nationals charged with money laundering were yesterday ordered to engage a lawyer who could represent them within three weeks.

https://fijisun.com.fj/2019/03/06/represent-yourselves-or-get-new-lawyer-cypriots-told/

 

TONGA:

Tongan PM accuses princess of taking millions intended for govt. Tonga's Prime Minister, 'Akilisi Pohiva, has claimed a royal princess used her shareholding in a private company to take nearly $US50 million intended for the government, court documents show.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/384165/tongan-pm-accuses-princess-of-taking-millions-intended-for-govt

 

VANUATU:

Vanuatu pardons, if approved, would follow intense pressure.  Vanuatu's president appears to be relenting to pressure as he looks set to pardon 14 former MPs who were jailed for corruption in 2016.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/384124/vanuatu-pardons-if-approved-would-follow-intense-pressure

 

SAMOA:

Samoa LTA assistant CEO found guilty, legal division head walks free.  The assistant chief executive of Samoa's Land Transport Authority, Mata'afa Sepelini Poufa, has been found guilty of six criminal charges.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/384021/samoa-lta-assistant-ceo-found-guilty-legal-division-head-walks-free

 

SOLOMON ISLANDS:

The political economy of the Solomon Islands oil spill. The unfolding disaster on Rennell is a perfect case study in rapacious natural resource exploitation, poverty and weak governance.

http://www.devpolicy.org/the-political-economy-of-the-unfolding-solomon-islands-oil-spill-20190308/

TSI: be fair on scholarships. Transpanrecy Solomon Islands (TSI) has called for greater transparency in the National Training Committee (NTC) and National Training Unit (NTU) when awarding scholarships.

http://www.solomonstarnews.com/index.php/news/national/item/21424-tsi-be-fair-on-scholarships

 

  

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

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 authoritarian
Read more

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

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