New Kickback podcast / Japan-Thailand bribery case / Indonesia anti-graft weapon

-

New Podcast Episode, Featuring Kieu Vien (Blog/Podcast).  “In the conversation, [Kieu Vien, the founder and executive director of Towards Transparency,] discusses the history of her organization, the corruption challenges facing Vietnam, some of Towards Transparency’s major initiatives, and the promises and limitations of the Vietnamese government’s recent anticorruption reforms.”

Matthew Stephenson/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2019/09/17/new-podcast-episode-featuring-kieu-vien/ 

 

Former exec convicted of bribery in 1st plea deal case in Japan.  A former executive of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Ltd has been found guilty of bribing a senior Thai official over a power plant project, in Japan's first case involving a plea bargain.

Japan Today: https://japantoday.com/category/crime/former-exec-convicted-of-bribery-in-1st-plea-deal-case-in-japan 

 

Forget KPK, we need a sharper weapon to fight graft (Opinion).  “Whatever tools we come up with, they have to involve wider public participation. We need to use free speech and internet technology to the full extent possible as part of any public campaign against corruption. The free and independent media, for one, should be part of the campaign, doing investigative reporting and uncovering corruption scandals”

Endy Bayuni/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2019/09/17/forget-kpk-we-need-a-sharper-weapon-to-fight-graft.html 

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