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Corruption is still rooted in many places: Anti-Corruption Commission.  ““The [Myanmar Anti-corruption] commission has steadfastly fought corruption that is rampant across the country for over the past three years. But only a few places saw corruption stop whereas it is still rampant in many parts of the country as ever as before,” the chairman said…He stressed the need for the government, out of political goodwill, to lead the fight against corruption in order to realize the anti-corruption millennium goals. He also called for inclusive participation when work committees are formed.” Zaw Min Naing/Eleven Media Group: https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/corruption-is-still-rooted-in-many-places-anti-corruption-commission     Dynastic corruption is a challenge to progress: PM Modi.  “Inaugurating the three-day National Conference on Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Mod...

What can we learn from trends in corruption and anticorruption? (Blog).  “Even if the average trend in reducing administrative corruption has been in the right direction, it is not universal…The urgency of the response to COVID-19 exacerbates these challenges even further…Still, knowing that anticorruption reforms can lead to results is encouraging and shows the usefulness of looking deeper, as the case studies in the volume do” Jim Anderson/World Bank: https://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/what-can-we-learn-trends-corruption-and-anticorruption   Uprooting corruption (Opinion).   “In Bangladesh, it was the Supreme Court that abolished the feudal system and paved the way for democracy. The Supreme Court of Pakistan in consultation with the present civil and military leadership needs to take suo-motu notice of our system of governance before it is too late” Atta-Ur-Rahman/The News: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/7357...

MACC wants businesses to set aside funds to combat graft.   “The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has called for businesses to spend a fair amount of their annual budget on anti-corruption efforts. Chief commissioner Azam Baki said it was to ensure that the wealth generated by businesses were shared among the people and not only a few.” Free Malaysia Today: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/10/20/macc-wants-businesses-to-set-aside-funds-to-combat-graft/     Hong Kong fines Goldman Sachs record $350 million over 1MDB failings.  “ Hong Kong’s markets watchdog…fined Goldman Sachs’s Asian business $350 million for its role in Malaysia’s multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, the largest single fine ever levied by the regulator in the Asian financial hub… In July, Goldman agreed to pay $3.9 billion to settle Malaysia’s criminal probe and [recently it agreed] to pay more than ...

New Podcast Episode, Featuring James Wasserstrom (Part 2) (Blog/Podcast).  “Mr. Wasserstrom discusses his work as a special advisor on anticorruption issues at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan…[and] talks about the importance of anticorruption work in ensuring stability and security, the challenges he faced in convincing senior military and diplomatic officials of the need to take corruption seriously, and why it’s important, in situations like Afghanistan, to adopt a “zero tolerance” approach to corruption and to use strict conditionalities on aid” Matthew Stephenson/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/10/21/new-podcast-episode-featuring-james-wasserstrom-part-2/     Ex-FGV Holdings senior GM charged over RM10,000 bribe.   “[Norazam Abdul Hameed,] former senior general manager of FGV Holdings Bhd was charged in the Sessions Court…with agreeing to accept RM10,000 (...

Disrupting corruption in government purchases in ASEAN (Opinion).  “If policymakers, practitioners, business leaders and citizens are ultimately successful in matching the new generation of technologies...with the ultimate goal of maximizing social benefit through the reduction…of corruption, this could make all the difference to the lives…of men and women in…socities worldwide.”   Brook Horowitz and Mark Lovatt/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2020/10/22/disrupting-corruption-in-government-purchases-in-asean.html   Maharashtra Ends Blanket Consent To CBI Probes In Clash Over Ratings Case.   “The Maharashtra [state] government's move also comes hours after the [Central Bureau of Investigation] filed a case to investigate the ratings scam on the basis of a complaint filed in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.” NDTV: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-withdraws-blanket-consent-to-cbi-to-pr...

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Anti-corruption Body Appoints Director General.  The Solomon Islands Independent Commission against Corruption, SIICAC, has a first appointed Director General. He is John Hugani Koun. https://www.solomontimes.com/news/anticorruption-body-appoints-director-general/10352   FIJI : Fiji's NFP leader investigated by anti-corruption body.  Fiji's anti-corruption commission is investigating the leader of the opposition National Federation Party. https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/428530/fiji-s-nfp-leader-investigated-by-anti-corruption-body Man convicted of bribery awaits fate.  A former tax officer with Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) was convicted of bribery by the Suva Magistrates Court on Tuesday. https://www.fijitimes.com/man-convicted-of-bribery-awaits-fate/ Former official and company executive deny corruption-related charges.  A former public official and a former private company executive who are...

UNODC Anti-Corruption Newsletter: Southeast Asia June-September 2020.  Follow UNODC's work over the past quarter, ranging from an analysis of beneficial ownership in Southeast Asia, a study of corruption risks in COVID-19 emergency packages,to corruption investigation training in Viet Nam. Direct link to the beneficial ownership analysis: https://bit.ly/3dOPQxF Direct link to the COVID-19 emergency package study: https://bit.ly/37sehzO UNODC: https://mailchi.mp/d9fbe1216672/unodc-corruption-newsletter-3310518     China's Gilded Age (Podcast).  "Professor Yuen Yuen Ang joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Anna Szymanski to discuss her book China's Gilded Age: The Paradox of Economic Boom and Vast Corruption and how it relates to China and the United States." Yuen Yuen Ang, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Anna Szymanski/Slate Money: https://slate.com/podcasts/slate-money/2020/10/china-corruption-economy     Public sector inn...

Malaysia's 1MDB scandal: Goldman Sachs set to pay US$2 billion to US authorities.  "Goldman Sachs has reached a long-awaited pact with the US Department of Justice to pay more than US$2 billion for the bank's role in Malaysia's 1MDB scandal…It follows an agreement in July to settle a related probe with Malaysia, in which the bank promised to pay US$2.5 billion. Malaysia dropped criminal charges against the New York-based company in early September." South China Morning Post: https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3106244/malaysias-1mdb-scandal-goldman-sachs-set-pay-us2-billion   COA flags ₱432M in excess costs for DPWH projects.   The Philippine Commission on Audit  (COA) "found discrepancies in the costing of 184 projects by various offices under the Department of Public Works and Highways [DPWH] in 2019…excessive contract costs and overestimated quantities of certain items resulted in a total variance of about [approx. US$8.9...

FACTI Background Paper: Beneficial Ownership (Blog).   “This paper explains how secrecy is achieved, how perfect beneficial ownership transparency would reveal most of the financial crimes and abuses, and how our legal frameworks can be fixed to get closer to that ideal transparency scenario.” Richard Messick/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/10/14/facti-background-paper-beneficial-ownership/      WEF’s voluntary ESG reporting now includes anti-corruption metrics (Blog).   The World Economic Forum’s “report, “Measuring Stakeholder Capitalism: Towards Common Metrics and Consistent Reporting of Sustainable Value Creation” [contains] voluntary ESG metrics and disclosures that are aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals…[and certain] anti-corruption metrics…within the Principles of Governance Pillar’s “Ethical Behavior” The...

Foreign bribery rages across the globe.   “Our new report, Exporting Corruption , rates the performance of 47 leading global exporters, including 43 countries that are signatories to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Anti-Bribery Convention, in cracking down on foreign bribery by companies…[It] also highlights key gaps in information about enforcement and slow country progress in introducing central public beneficial ownership registers, a crucial tool for detecting, investigating and preventing foreign bribery. Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/news/foreign-bribery-rages-across-the-globe     How corruption in Kyrgyzstan put Chinese investments at risk (Opinion).   “In the past few weeks, the Government of Sri Lanka has proposed an amendment to the existing Constitution that seeks to overhaul several key provisions, including Articles regarding the appointment of independent...

SOLOMON ISLANDS : Integrity Should Not be For Sale: Solomon Islands Youth Entrepreneur.  Solomon Islands youth entrepreneurs have a key role to play in tackling corruption and building business integrity as the country strengthens its economy and tackles COVID-19, according to local participants of the three-day Business Integrity for Youth Entrepreneurs Workshop. https://www.solomontimes.com/feature/integrity-should-not-be-for-sale-solomon-islands-youth-entrepreneur/535   FIJI : ‘High level corruption in markets’.  There is a high level of corruption in Fiji’s municipal markets, says Local Government Minister Premila Kumar. https://www.fijitimes.com/high-level-corruption-in-markets/   PNG: Papua New Guinea faces an infrastructure crisis—thanks to shoddy work and opaque deals (Commentary).  Since I raised serious questions about the transparency, or lack of it, in Asian Development Bank–funded projects in P...

Exporting Corruption (Report).  “Transparency International’s 2020 report, Exporting Corruption, rates the performance of 47 leading global exporters, including 43 countries that are signatories to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Anti-Bribery Convention, in cracking down on bribery of foreign public officials by companies operating abroad.” Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/exporting-corruption-2020     To fight corruption, private and public sectors must double down on digitalization (Blog).  “[Our] recommendations focus on: (1) consistent digital identity standards; (2) increased adoption of public registers of beneficial ownership information; and (3) public/private partnership to support technologies that improve data quality in, and data sharing among, national registers. We urge global leaders to focus on building a culture of high integrity in the ...

B20 Integrity & Compliance Policy Paper 2020   “This policy paper outlines three general recommendations for the G20 and covers a number of specific policy actions and considerations for each such recommendation…The first recommendation focuses on the G20 pursuing and delivering a culture of high integrity in both the public and private sectors…The second…[on] leveraging emerging technologies to manage risks related to corruption and fraud…The third…focuses on…enhancing integrity and transparency in public procurement”   B20:  https://www.b20saudiarabia.org.sa/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/B20-Integrity-Compliance-Policy-Paper-30092020.pdf   We must be proactive as corruption cases getting more complex, says MACC chief.   “The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner [Datuk Seri Azam Baki] said that while the MACC tries its best to be proactive in using the latest technolo...

Citizens empowered: An open secret to building local infrastructure on time and budget (Blog).   “Decentralization in Nepal has given local governments a new level of decision-making power and accountability to citizens…The government of Dhangadhi, the gateway to Nepal’s far west, has improved oversight of one of the city’s biggest budget items, small-scale infrastructure, by introducing new transparent policies, digitizing its processes and creating new channels to engage citizens and seek their feedback on project performance.” Sophie Brown/Open Contracting Partnership: https://www.open-contracting.org/2020/09/30/citizens-empowered-an-open-secret-to-building-local-infrastructure-on-time-and-budget/     New OECD study on how to implement a HLRM for clean, transparent public procurement (Blog and Publication).   “The OECD has released a new study on the ingredients for a successful High-Level Reporting Mechanism (...

As the pandemic continues: adapting approaches to social accountability (Blog).   “A few months back we asked whether social distancing has to mean that communities demanding accountability are silenced. Because giving and receiving feedback, and convincing people to act, can be easier in person. But the answer was a clear no, and we shared a few examples from around the globe of communities that are continuing to hold duty bearers accountable.” Isabelle Kermeen/Integrity Action: https://integrityaction.org/what-we-are-learning/blog/as-the-pandemic-continues-adapting-approaches-to-social-accountability/   Watching over citizens’ right to information (Blog).   “In the past few weeks, the Government of Sri Lanka has proposed an amendment to the existing Constitution that seeks to overhaul several key provisions, including Articles regarding the appointment of independent commissions…Losing the [Right To Information] Commission ca...

Maldives ex-VP Ahmed Adeeb sentenced to 20 years for corruption.  Criminal Court charged Adeeb with embezzlement, money laundering and misuse of government authority among other offences…[including] charges related to leasing tropical islands for hotel development.   Aljazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/5/maldives-ex-vp-ahmed-adeeb-sentenced-to-20-years-for-corruption     Widodo doing too little to eliminate graft (Opinion).  “At first blush, it might appear that Indonesia was on the road to eradicating corruption from its midst…Evidently, Indonesia is still mired in scandal, especially those involving high-profile individuals, both in the private sector and in the upper echelons of political power.” Sean Goh/Asia Times: https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/widodo-doing-too-little-to-eliminate-graft/     Maharashtra leads in graft cases for 3 rd year in row, but logs 15% conviction rate.   ...

The UN common position to address global corruption (Position paper).   “This paper sets forth the Common Position of the United Nations system on addressing corruption challenges at the global, regional and national levels and the common framework for the United Nations system on support to Member States. The paper also includes an annex that highlights some innovative ideas and initiatives being explored by Member States to prevent and respond to corruption challenges.” United Nations: https://ungass2021.unodc.org/uploads/ungass2021/documents/session1/contributions/UN_Common_Position_to_Address_Global_Corruption_Towards_UNGASS2021.pdf   New top cop calls a halt to drink-drive checkpoints.  “The new [Thai] police chief [Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk] has ordered the suspension of drink-driving checkpoints until the transparency of the tests can be ensured… Mana Nimitmongkol, secretary-general of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thai...

Vicha proposes justice revamp.   Thailand’s “[graftbuster] Vicha Mahakun has made recommendations for a revamp of the justice system after his review of the hit-and-run case involving the Red Bull scion…The recommendations contained observations that police probes lack independence and are prone to graft, while evidence can be tampered with and facts can be distorted.” Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1995035/vicha-proposes-justice-revamp   Corrupt judges must be removed to keep judiciary free of graft: HC.  “The [Bangladesh] High Court in a full text of a verdict has observed that corrupt judges must be immediately removed in order to keep all other judges of the judiciary free from graft. "Corruption free judiciary is one of the preconditions to rule of law," the HC said.” The Daily Star: https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/corrupt-judges-must-be-removed-keep-judiciary-free-graf...

How jobs bill will change forest governance in Indonesia (Opinion).   “Despite becoming embroiled in corruption that has resulted in a high-cost economy in the forestry sector, local administrations should still play a role in forest oversight. While no longer in charge of issuing permits and licenses, local authorities should help the central government supervise companies and make sure sustainable business practices are in place.” Adisti Sukma Sawitri/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2020/09/25/how-jobs-bill-will-change-forest-governance-in-indonesia.html   How to make progress in the fight against corruption (Blog).   “Case studies featured in the report [Enhancing Government Effectiveness and Transparency: The Fight Against Corruption] highlight that multiple factors contribute to the impact of anti-corruption efforts, including political leadership, institutional capacity, incentives, technology, transparenc...

National Human Development Report 2020: Pitfalls and Promise – Minerals Extractions in Afghanistan.   “The control of minerals extraction by insurgent groups has also meant that they have been financing and fuelling conflict, while undermining the legitimacy of the State and further spreading corruption and violence.” UNDP Afghanistan: https://www.af.undp.org/content/afghanistan/en/home/library/human_development/NHDR-2020.html     Graft ranking needs rethink (Editorial).   “The [Thai] National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) seems to have repeated the same mistakes of 2019 when it released its annual Integrity and Transparency [Assessment] ranking for government agencies, state enterprises and independent bodies for this year…Independent bodies which share the courts and military branches' top ranking include the Election Commission, as well as the NACC itself. That the EC received high [ITA] scores seems inconsistent ...

REMINDER: Registration still open for the free UNDP-UNSSC online course on ‘Anti-Corruption in the context of the 2030 Agenda, November-December 2020.  This online course adopts an integrated approach to achieving the SDGs from an anti-corruption and SDG16 perspective. It features concrete examples to provide practical guidance on integrating, measuring and monitoring anti-corruption in national, sectoral and local development plans and processes. It also includes new materials and a dedicated lasson on Anti-corruption in COVID-19 Response and Recovery. Registration via the link below closes 12 October 2020 UNDP and UN System Staff College: https://www.unssc.org/courses/anti-corruption-context-2030-agenda-november-december-2020/      Strategic Approaches to Corruption Prevention: A Practitioner's Perspective Based on the Experience of the Republic of Korea and UNDP Missions.  “In this paper, the author draws on 18 years of his exp...

FIJI : Fiji MPs in front of anti-corruption commission.  Two opposition MPs in Fiji are being questioned by the Independent Commission against Corruption over alleged breaches of the Parliamentary Remuneration Act. https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/427283/fiji-mps-in-front-of-anti-corruption-commission   Former agricultural officer pleads guilty to committing an act of corruption.  A former agricultural technical officer appeared last week at the Nausori Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to committing an act of corruption. https://www.fijitimes.com/former-agricultural-officer-pleads-guilty-to-committing-an-act-of-corruption/   PNG: PNG introduces new Anti-Corruption strategy.  To pay way for a functioning independent commission against Corruption (ICAC) Transparency International PNG (TIPNG) has introduced a project called PAIS (Promoting Anti-Corruption Integrity Strategies) https://postcourier.com.pg/tipng-intr...

COVID-19: B20-UNDP Joint Statement.  “The B20 and UNDP welcome the commitments made in the G20 Leaders’ Extraordinary Summit (i) to foster collaboration between the public and private sectors in both the development and distribution of lifesaving goods (ii) to protect individuals and businesses of all sizes during the economic recovery and (iii) to “realize a free, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and investment environment.” We urge the G20 Leaders to commit more explicitly to accountability and anti-corruption efforts to ensure the impact and effectiveness of response and recovery efforts to COVID-19.” UNDP: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/news-centre/news/2020/b20-undp-joint-statement.html   China's crackdown against corruption: Lessons for India (Opinion).  “India and China score identically on the global corruption perception index. However, scholars like Yuen Yuen Ang po...

The right to know is crucial in a crisis (Statement).  “The transparent and timely sharing of information with the public, on both a proactive and reactive basis, is crucial for protecting public health, preventing corruption, safeguarding democratic institutions and improving policy and-decision-making. However, more than six months after the declaration of the pandemic, while many governments have found ways to return to normal operations despite challenges created by the pandemic, freedom of information requests continue to be delayed or refused.” Transparency International: https://www.transparency.org/en/press/the-right-to-know-is-crucial-in-a-crisis   China’s anti-corruption watchdog promises to target overseas funds days after singer Wanting Qu pleads for justice for mother.   “China’s top anti-corruption body [Central Commission for Discipline Inspection] has said it will step up its efforts to target funds sent overs...