Indonesia 2019-2018 differences / Japan cronyism case / OGP-EITI increase alignment

-

2019 sees fewer corruption cases but bigger state losses: ICW.  “Fewer corruption cases were brought to court in 2019, but total state losses incurred nearly doubled to Rp 8.4 trillion (US$614 million), the highest in five years, according to antigraft watchdog Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW). An ICW survey found that 580 individuals were prosecuted in 271 corruption cases investigated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the police and the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) last year, compared to 1,087 individuals and 454 cases in 2018.”

The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/02/20/2019-sees-fewer-corruption-cases-bigger-state-losses-icw.html     

 

Moritomo Gakuen couple in Abe cronyism scandal found guilty of fraud.  “The former head of a nationalist school operator and his wife, who were at the center of a cronyism scandal linked to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, were found guilty of receiving ¥56.4 million ($512,000) in central government subsidies illegally for the construction of an elementary school.”

The Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/02/19/national/crime-legal/moritomo-gakuen-couple-guilty/#.Xk7l4mj7Tb1

 

Extractive Industries, Transparency and Procurement – Increasing Alignment.  “The OGP and Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) recently put together an exciting report outlining synergies between the two initiatives, noting how both initiatives can amplify each other’s efforts. Such a report highlights how much alignment there is between various types of transparency and governance initiatives, and the potential for collaboration across all of them.”

Open Government Partnership: https://www.opengovpartnership.org/stories/extractive-industries-transparency-and-procurement-increasing-alignment/   

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