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Recovering Damages for Corruption — Bribery Victims (Blog).  “In drafting the UN Convention Against Corruption, governments agreed quickly and without dissent upon what is now article 35. It requires parties to ensure their domestic law permit any person or entity harmed by corruption to “initiate legal proceedings against those responsible for the damage to obtain compensation.” Yet what evidence there is shows article 35’s promise remains largely unfulfilled.” Richard Messick/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/04/21/recovering-damages-for-corruption-bribery-victims/   We cannot end poverty without ending corruption (Opinion).   “Although some scholars view corruption as an enabler of development rather than an obstacle, particularly at an early stage of modernisation and development, numerous studies on corruption concluded that communities incur substantial economic and s...

Mongolia: corruption prevention activity has saved over $10 million.  “One of the primary functions in corruption prevention is to review these regulations to discover if there is a bureaucracy, unnecessary steps in providing civil service that may cause corruption…As a result of the corruption prevention activity, vehicle importers and citizens of Mongolia save up to 30.4 billion tugriks ($10.6 million) annually.” Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia : https://www.iaac.mn/news/mongolia-corruption-prevention-activity-has-saved-over-1sh-million/   Thank you to Erkhemjargal Odsuren, IAAC, for sharing this article.   To Trust is to Choose: International experts vetting candidates for public office (Blog).  “Countries where state institutions are perceived as corrupt all share a similar dilemma: Why should citizens trust a candidate for public office who was selected by a state body which citizens simply don...

Anti-corruption efforts helping cut informal business costs.  “The Government’s anti-corruption efforts have proven increasingly effective, helping enterprises significantly reduce informal costs, according to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2020 report conducted by VCCI shows that the rate of companies forced to pay informal charges fell to 44.9 percent from 66 percent in 2016, the lowest proportion since 2006.” VietnamPlus: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/anticorruption-efforts-helping-cut-informal-business-costs/200656.vnp     Team against Corruption makes progress in its mission.  “Anti-corruption activities and campaigns under [Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission] have given birth to concrete procedures such as Watch and Voice, tackling corruption risks, law violations, and conflicts of interest issues within local communities. Local corruption issu...

Prevention of corruption should not stymie the creation of credit.  “This column makes the case that governance is not an outright morality play, but a delicate balancing act between probity and economic activity. We wish to make it clear that we do not posit the two as polar opposites either.” V. Anantha Nageswaran and Aankhi Ghost/Mint: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/prevention-of-corruption-should-not-stymie-the-creation-of-credit-11618850491300.html      4 th Global Conference of Alliance for Integrity: Achieving Business Integrity through Collection Action – Success, Lessons and Challenges.  “While showcasing its own experiences, the Alliance for Integrity invites a diverse set of speakers…to reflect how Collective Action can be leveraged even further, which new and innovative ways of cooperation are possible, where potentials for upscaling and replications exist and how specific challenges of ...

India’s Agriculture Reform Bills May Not Be Perfect, But They Can Help Fight Rampant Corruption (Blog).   “The government shouldn’t take away the [Minimum Support Price] safety net without transitional support…and India’s Competition Commission should be given a strong role in ensuring free and fair competition. And more safeguards should be added to guard against corruption in the administrative dispute resolution system for private sale contracts.” Disha Verma/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/04/12/indias-agriculture-reform-bills-may-not-be-perfect-but-they-can-help-fight-rampant-corruption/     The oath of a member of the Mongolian parliament has been amended.   “Prior to this change, the oldest member of the Parliament read out the oath, “As a member of the Parliament of Mongolia, I swear to uphold the interests of all citizens and the state, respect the sta...

Vietnam shows best corruption control in public sector in 10 year.  “The control of corruption in the public sector last year showed the best performance in a decade, since the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) survey was first conducted…PAPI is a flagship governance programme initiated by the UN Development Programmes in Vietnam since 2009.” The Star: https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2021/04/17/vietnam-shows-best-corruption-control-in-public-sector-in-10-year        New Podcast, Featuring Tommy Thomas (Blog/Podcast).  “Tommy Thomas, who served as the Attorney General of Malaysia in 2018-2020, and who in that capacity headed the investigation and prosecution of cases arising out of the so-called 1MDB corruption scandal. Our conversation covers both the 1MDB scandal and the broader political and economic circumstances that contributed to and facilitated...

Call for Papers: Anti-Corruption Symposium, 18-19 November 2021, Vienna, Austria.  “The organizers are inviting paper or short essay proposals from scholars, private sector professionals, international organizations professionals, policymakers, public officials, civil society organizations, and the broader international anti-corruption community. The deadline to submit aproposal is 15 May 2021.” International Anti-Corruption Academy: https://www.iaca.int/resources/news-articles/188-2021/1362-anti-corruption-symposium,-18-19-november-2021,-vienna,-austria.html     Is it a Social Norm, or Something Else? The Curious Case of a Traffic Police Officer in India (Blog).  “Since I started working with the Corruption, Justice and Legitimacy Program (CJL), I have learned that it is not easy to apply social norms frameworks to real life situations... this post takes a common corruption scenario and applies the CJL social norms framework t...

FIJI: iTaukei Land Trust Board commit to anti-bribery goals.  The iTaukei Land Trust Board becomes the fifth institution to join the ‘I don’t accept bribes’ campaign, to which, the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has commended the TLTB for joining in the fight against the incitement to bribery. TLTB will undergo training as part of the ‘I don’t accept bribes’ campaign conducted by the FICAC. https://ficac.org.fj/pg_news.php?pg=1428   USP pro-chancellor Thompson replies to call to resign.  The University of the South Pacific (USP) pro-chancellor Winston Thompson says that the USP Students Association has two members on the USP Council and they should not broadcast matter dealt with by the council to the world…[after] a letter written by the USPSA [called] for his resignation, “We have lost confidence in the pro-chancellor and view the position as being highly politically motivated....

Pharmacists seek action over corruption.  “In a letter, [Pakistan Young Pharmacist Association] general secretary Dr Furqan Ibrahim asked International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva for intervention to ensure that the Pakistani authorities complete inquiries into the [Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan] financial and administrative irregularities for the recovery of embezzled funds and punishment of the culpable officials.” The News: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/819692-pharmacists-seek-action-over-corruption     Co-Chair Global Call-to-Action for All OGP Members.  “In support of Open Renewal, the Co-Chairs of [Open Government Partnership (OGP)], the Republic of Korea and Maria Baron of Directorio Legislativo, have launched a global call-to-action for all OGP members in 2021 to use their new and existing action plans to make ambitious commitments that address core challenges. This includes anti-cor...

Chairman NAB on awareness and prevention strategy: ‘Corruption creates socio-economic turmoil, engulfing whole system’.   “Chairman [National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan] Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal said the NAB’s effective Awareness and Prevention Strategy has started yielding excellent results…During 2020, the NAB’s awareness campaign was effectively highlighted by the media without spending any budget…the NAB and Higher Education Commission (HEC) have [also] signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for creating awareness amongst the students of various universities and colleges.” The News: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/818853-chairman-nab-on-awareness-and-prevention-strategy-corruption-creates-socio-economic-turmoil-engulfing-whole-system      Draft code of conduct for members of parliament has been submitted.   “The purpose of the revised “Code of Conduct for members of the Mon...

Official launch of the 2020 Viet Nam Provincial Competitiveness Index (Livestream).   The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) is an annual business survey and ranking of the economic governance quality of provincial authorities in creating a favorable business environment for development of the private sector, including measuring how firms pay ‘informal charges’, and access to mechanisms to appeal against officials’ corruption behavior. The launch will be livestreamed on Thursday 15 April, 9:00-11:00 (GMT+7) via the link below. PCI : https://www.facebook.com/PCI-VIET-NAM-104120331295704     10,000 expected to join 'Malaysia 100 million steps against corruption'.  “A total of 10,000 participants have been targeted to participate in the [Malaysia 100 Million Steps Against Corruption, a programme aimed at creating awareness to avoid corrupt practices, while cultivating a healthy lifestyle] to be conducted virtually, from [tod...

Official launch of the Viet Nam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (Livestream).  “PAPI measures and benchmarks citizens’ experiences and perception on the performance and quality of policy implementation and services delivery [including on control of corruption] of all 63 provincial governments in Vietnam to advocate for effective and responsive governance.” Register via the link below for a livestream of the launch on Wednesday 14 April 2021, 08:30-11:00 (GMT+7). PAPI: http://congbo2020.papi.org.vn/en/      DSI freezes properties worth B85m in graft probe.  “A freeze has been ordered on 78 tracts of land and buildings allegedly acquired using money defrauded from a State Railway of Thailand [SRT] savings cooperative, according to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI)… Investigators linked the embezzled funds were linked to a network of officials led by a former SRT club exec...

Malaysia's graft buster finds $1.1m cash, luxury yacht, two helicopters in project syndicate raid.  “Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) found a total of RM3.5 million (US$846,000) in cash when it raided a house belonging to a 47-year-old Datuk, believed to be the ringleader of a syndicate which made bids for billions in government contracts using hundreds of shell companies.” The Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysias-graft-buster-finds-11m-cash-luxury-yacht-two-helicopters-in-project-syndicate     Cambodian investors wonder where their $20m went.  “Cambodian financial investment company GoldFX Investment announced a temporary suspension of operations on March 29 after claiming staff members had embezzled more than US$20 million from the firm.” David Hutt/Asia Times: https://asiatimes.com/2021/04/cambodian-investors-wonder-where-their-20m-went/          ...

AI: Using analytics to stem the rising tide of corporate fraud in Malaysia.  “Small and medium enterprises and both the public and private sectors are usually exposed to fraudulent supply chains, fraudulent procurement, fraudulent expenses, fraudulent invoices…“In general, the appropriate legislative framework is in place in Malaysia. For example, the recent section 17A amendment to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, to introduce corporate liability for corruption offences, is world class,” Jonathan Lim/The Edge Markets: https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/ai-using-analytics-stem-rising-tide-corporate-fraud-malaysia     Steps taken to stop corruption in FIR registration.  “Inspector General of the Federal Capital Police said that basic rationale of corruption in police stations is registration of first information report (FIR)… a policy of free registration of cases has been adopted and as a res...

Upholding commitments: How supreme audit institutions can strengthen budget credibility through external audits (Brief).   “Lack of budget credibility undermines public trust in institutions and jeopardizes the integrity of public funds, increasing corruption risks…The aim of this paper is to take stock of how external audits are currently analyzing issues of budget credibility and to identify trends, gaps, opportunities and challenges to further advance budget assessments along this line. The review is based on 80 audit reports from 20 [Supreme Audit Institutions across regions.” Aránzazu Guillán Montero/International Budget Partnership: https://www.internationalbudget.org/publications/upholding-commitments-how-supreme-audit-institutions-can-strengthen-budget-credibility-through-external-audits/     Malaysia’s Najib appeals 1MDB-linked corruption conviction.  “A Malaysian court has begun hearing a bid by former Prime Mi...

Hong Kong Revives Move to Reduce Corporate Transparency Now That Opposition Is Gone.  “For a global business center, Hong Kong has long trumpeted one of the more transparent registers of company records, a window that helped shine a light on the wealth of powerful Chinese families, exposed corruption…Now, the city’s government is seeking to curb public access to [those] details…a move that journalist groups and investors say would erode corporate transparency and diminish press freedom while protecting the interests of the political and business elite.” Wenxin Fan/The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-revives-move-to-reduce-corporate-transparency-now-that-opposition-is-gone-11617534508     Sri Lanka Ilmenite tender flaws expose corruption and fraud.   Sri Lanka’s latest sale of mineral sands mainly ilmenite in a flawed tender process…[deprived] the state of millions of rupees in rev...

Do More Candidate-Centric Electoral Systems Help Reduce Corruption? (Blog).  “One might expect that in the open list system, voters would be less likely to choose candidates who had been involved in this corruption scandal when they had been reminded of their involvement. But we did not find any statistically meaningful difference in the vote choices of those who received this additional information, as compared to other respondents who did not.” Rumilda Cañete-Straub, Josepa Miquel-Florensa, Stéphane Straub, and Karine Van der Straeten/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/03/23/guest-post-do-more-candidate-centric-electoral-systems-help-reduce-corruption/     Philippines: Embracing Transparency Critical for Mining Sector (Opinion).  “This month, when the [Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative] begins the process of validating our progress in meeting its standards, it will have a golden opp...

IMF: Scant Transparency for Covid-19 Emergency Loans.  “The International Monetary Fund (IMF), despite overall progress in its anti-corruption efforts, has not ensured sufficient oversight of its Covid-19 emergency loans…As a result, it is hard for members of the public in many countries to track the governments’ Covid-19 spending, to identify potential corruption, or to determine whether the deprivation of basic rights connected to the pandemic is being addressed.” Human Rights Watch: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/30/imf-scant-transparency-covid-19-emergency-loans   Corrupt officials become internet sensation due to massive wealth.  “[Chinese officials] convicted of corruption in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province have become an internet sensation due to the extent of their wealth, including more than 100 luxury cars and funds equivalent to 3 billion yuan ($470 million).” Global Times: https://www.g...