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TOMORROW: UNDP-UNODC-WHO Side Event at the UNGASS 2021: Corruption in the health sector during crisis: Strategies and opportunities (Webinar).  This Side Event will highlight the good practices from multiple perspectives, countries and contexts, and present the work of the Coalition for Accountability, Transparency and Anti-Corruption in Health (CATCH) as the UN’s integrated response to prevent and address corruption in the health sector, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please register via the link below ahead of the session tomorrow at 10 pm Singapore time. United Nations Development Programme : https://undp.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwuduytpjgpG9KW2RG0EWUTNYtukCgVFQ0h   Jokowi under pressure to intervene in KPK conflict.   “President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is under pressure to annul the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) decision to fire 51 of the 75 KPK employees who failed a highly controversial...

South Korea’s New Corruption Investigation Office Needs Independent Prosecutorial Power (Blog).  “The Corruption Investigation Office for High Ranking Officials (CIO)…can investigate certain crimes, such as bribery and embezzlement, related to the duties of current and retired high-ranking public officials… There is, however, a significant problem with this new system, one that will likely impede the CIO’s ability to hold high-level politicians and their cronies accountable: The CIO lacks the power to prosecute most of the cases it investigates.” Vincent Wu/The Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2021/05/24/south-koreas-new-corruption-investigation-office-needs-independent-prosecutorial-power/     Cambodian Courts Show Pattern of Political Influence, Double Standards of Justice.  “Cambodia’s constitution provides for an independent judiciary, the U.S. State Department note...

Loan decree needs to be transparent.  “Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala, who was [Thailand’s] finance minister from 2011 to 2012, said he does not object to the [approx. US$ 22.2 billion] borrowing plan, which is essential in getting the economy back on track. However…Mr Thirachai alleged that the mechanisms used to ensure transparency and fiscal discipline were removed and replaced with a cabinet-appointed committee authorised to select and propose projects to the cabinet for consideration.” Chatrudee Theparat/Bangkok Post : https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2120931/loan-decree-needs-to-be-transparent     Checking the Receipts from Pandemic-Related Spending (Blog).   “A year into the emergency response, information is becoming available on the progress in implementing these governance measures in pandemic-related spending…Transparency and accountability in the crisis response are important for all countries, regard...

Procurement rules should be reviewed (Editorial).   “The provisions meant to prevent corruption not only seem ineffective, they may be adding layers of red tape. We need measures to prevent graft balanced with the flexibility required for the government to be responsive in a crisis, be it in this pandemic or something else in the future.” The Manila Times: https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/23/opinion/editorial/procurement-rules-should-be-reviewed/1800313     Full steam ahead on Vietnam’s anti-corruption campaign.  “[Communist Party of Vietnam’s Secretary-General] Trong has repeatedly vowed to combat corruption. Having handed over the presidency to Phuc, he now has free hands to do so. But only time will tell whether Trong will be able to catch the three big fish.” Hai Hong Nguyen/East Asia Forum: https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/05/20/full-steam-ahead-on-vietnams-anti-corruption-campaign/     ...

Black Boxes and Trendsetters: Social Norm Change Tips from Cristina (Blog).  “[Cristina Bicchieri, one of the foremost scholars of social norms change,] has observed that several social norm change interventions do not have clarity about what they are trying to change…anti-corruption practitioners need to first diagnose whether a collective pattern of corrupt behaviour is driven by normative expectations, before saying that an intervention is targeting a social norm change.” Dhaval Kothari/Tufts University: https://sites.tufts.edu/ihs/black-boxes-and-trendsetters-social-norm-change-tips-from-cristina/     More KPK employees, supporters fall victim to cyberattacks.  “ A string of online attacks against [Indonesia’s] Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees and their supporters is escalating as more people have been targeted.” Dio Suhenda/The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/05/23/mo...

Malaysia’s 1MDB, former unit file suits to recover $23 bln.  “Malaysia’s finance ministry said Monday that sovereign wealth fund 1MDB and a former subsidiary have filed 22 lawsuits to recover assets worth over $23 billion from various institutions and individuals..” Associated Press: https://apnews.com/article/malaysia-business-a72f3b2c06ada911ca8459f184fbcc07     Brief conclusion of comparative analysis of the corruption perception index and the penal sanctions of corruption-related crimes.  “A comparative study of the criminal laws, anti-corruption laws, and other relevant laws of 34 countries was conducted by Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia to determine the correlation between the types of penal sanctions, duration of imprisonment punishment for the corruption crime, and the Corruption perception index.” Indepdent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia: https://www.iaac.mn/news/brief-co...

Rozina Islam: Bangladesh arrests journalist for COVID reporting.  “The arrest of a female Bangladeshi investigative reporter who wrote scathing stories on the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has triggered protests by hundreds of reporters. Rozina Islam, an investigative journalist for Prothom Alo newspaper, the country’s largest circulated newspaper, was detained…under the Official Secrets Act, police said. Aljazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/18/rozina-islam-bangladesh-arrests-journalist-for-covid-reporting     Job insecurity leaves KPK workers demoralized.  “The Idul Fitri holiday season is usually a time for celebration for many Indonesian employees, marked with an annual bonus and…a lengthy paid leave period. But this was not the case for 75 Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees this year, who received a letter signed by the antigraft body’s chairman Firli Bahuri on ...

The forgotten psychological cost of corruption in developing countries (Commentary).   “Our research aims to shine a light on how everyday corruption harms mental health in developing countries. The damage can come in several forms. For example, the size and frequency of bribes imposes financial costs and creates anxiety, especially for poorer households, who are disproportionately affected and more vulnerable.” Smriti Sharma, Finn Tarp and Saurabh Singhal/The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-psychological-cost-of-corruption-in-developing-countries-156413     New Post, Featuring Nicola Bonucci (Blog/Podcast).  “I interview Nicola Bonucci, currently a partner with the Paul Hastings law firm, who served for many years as the Director of Legal Affairs for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Our interview focuses primarily on the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Officia...

Korea Launches Powerful Anti-Corruption Investigative Body (Commentary).   “In January 2021, the Korean government launched the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) to investigate this type of corruption along with other crimes committed by senior government officials. Given the CIO’s expansive authority, companies with business operations in Korea are advised to assess the risks associated with interacting with high-ranking government officials in Korea.” Latham & Wilkins/JD Supra: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/korea-launches-powerful-anti-corruption-5952561/     Mongolia: state-owned companies need to be restructured to reduce corruption.  “[The] opportunity to monitor the activities of state-owned companies would encourage them to be financially transparent, accessible, and effective, thus reducing the bribery and corruption network. As a result, corporate tax avoidance will be minimized...

Chan Chun Sing on CPIB efforts in keeping Singapore corruption-free amid COVID-19 pandemic.  “The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of digital transformation in the fight against corruption... Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing said…[Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau] has rigorous asset recovery efforts for corruption cases. In 2018, 2019 and 2020, the total value of forfeitures was about S$2.4 million, S$3.8 million and S$2.2 million respectively.” Channel NewsAsia: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/parliament/videos/may/chan-chun-sing-on-cpib-efforts-in-keeping-singapore-corruption-14779700     Judicial accountability must not cost its independence (Opinion).  “The dramatic rise in complaints against judges [in Hong Kong] is a symptom of the political divide. But politics must have no place in the system that will make the final decisions” Cliff Buddle/Sou...

Corruption is second pandemic during Covid medical emergency, says anti-graft agency.  “Beside creating medical facilities to meet the growing demand for Covid-19 essentials, the [Transparency International India]…also asked all the governments to immediately set up "anti-corruption control rooms" up to the district-level for relief on phone or other technology platforms.” India Today: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/corruption-second-covid-pandemic-black-marketing-medicines-tiii-1799395-2021-05-06     Mongolia: whistleblower protection law will be a huge step to the fight against corruption.  “If the Law on the Protection of Whistleblower is approved, it will be an effective tool to protect the public interest, fighting corruption, ensure freedom of speech and the right to information, and increasing legal awareness and accountability. Not only is it important to create a legal environment, but It is also cruc...

Indonesia Anti-Graft Agency Retains Legal Power for Wiretapping.  “[Indonesia’s constitutional court’s] decision addressed concerns that the 2019 revision of the law, which led to the establishment of a supervisory board for the [Corruption Eradication Commission], had weakened its power to carry out investigations. The court still ruled the overall amendment was constitutional and upheld an article that said corruption cases that can’t be concluded in two years must be dropped.” Arys Aditya/Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-05/indonesia-anti-graft-agency-retains-legal-power-for-wiretapping     Mongolia: People with disabilities are more prone to corruption.  “[The Indepdent Authority Against Corruption’s] survey found that people with disabilities were more likely to face corruption in the health, education, and social services sector. They also face corruption in the police, the j...

Pacific anti-corruption journalists call for regional commitment to media freedom.  Marking World Press Freedom Day 2021, the Pacific Anti-Corruption Journalists Network (PACJN) has called for a regional Pacific commitment to boost media freedom and help increase reporting on activities at risk of corruption…PACJN's media strengthening work is being delivered by the Pacific Islands News Association, which is supported by the United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project, a joint initiative by UNODC and UNDP supported by the Australian Government and the New Zealand Aid Programme. https://www.solomontimes.com/news/pacific-anticorruption-journalists-call-for-regional-commitment-to-media-freedom/10807 https://www.fijivillage.com/news/Pacific-anti-corruption-journalists-call-for-regional-commitment-to-media-freedom-fr4x58/   SOLOMON ISLANDS Anti-Corruption Commission Rolls Out Recruitment Plan.  The newly established Solomon Islands Ind...

Graft and pandemic travel.  “A number of quarantine breaches by foreign visitors…and a recent scandal in which hundreds of people were tested with used antigen kits…show that some officials and businesses are willing to compromise health protocols for profit…As long as the government fails to combat endemic corruption among officials and improve regulations, it will be very hard to expect safe travel in Indonesia, especially as Idul Fitri approaches.” The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2021/05/04/graft-and-pandemic-travel.html     Actionable Evidence: What a Donor Learnt about Addressing Police Corruption (Blog).   “What research findings were surprising to you? What was most useful? Surprise: Increasing police salaries alone can increase corruption…[and raising] awareness of corruption can backfire…Our research uncovered several concrete mechanisms, both internal and external, that c...

KPK may lose investigators who failed civil exam.  “Reports emerged…that around 75 [of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)] employees failed the civic knowledge test held by the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) as part of the employee status transition within the antigraft body. The revised KPK Law, which was passed following a speedy deliberation at the House of Representatives in 2019, mandates that all previously independent employees of the agency become civil servants.” The Jakarta Post: https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2021/05/04/kpk-may-lose-investigators-who-failed-civil-exam.html     Malaysia gets new police chief as the force faces several controversies. “Since taking the role, Mr Hamid has conducted extensive transfer exercises, including those involving state police chiefs, in a bid to reform an institution that is widely perceived to be corrupt.” Nadirah H. Rodzi/The Straits Times: h...

Resource Guide: Building Transparent and Open Public Procurement Systems for Achieving the SDGs in ASEAN.  “Through this guide, UNDP promotes the adoption of a collective action - a multi-stakeholder approach where governments, citizen, and the private sector work together to strengthen transparency and openness in public procurement systems. It maps out existing tools and good practices in the region and beyond, which have been successful in achieving this objective. It also lays out some entry points for policy dialogue on this topic and reforms at the national and subnational levels.” United Nations Development Programme: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/democratic-governance/resource-guide-building-transparent-and-open-public-procurement-systems-for-achieving-sdgs-in-asean.html     Business leaders and civil society urge UN to take meaningful action to combat corruption.  “The International Chamber of Comme...

How grand corruption during Covid-19 threatens human rights (Blog).  “If grand corruption constituted a significant threat to our human rights before the pandemic, this is now more relevant than ever. Because of the way it undermines health systems and people’s right to healthcare, grand corruption during Covid-19 should be considered a gross violation of basic human rights.” Daniela Cepeda Cuadrado and Daniel Hausenkamph/U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre: https://medium.com/u4-anti-corruption-resource-centre/how-grand-corruption-during-covid-19-threatens-human-rights-f9abc170968a     How to hold political leaders to account for Covid-19 corruption (Blog).  “In contrast to regional anti-corruption and human rights mechanisms, the [Universal Periodic Review process of the Human Rights Council] has universal participation and an impressive success rate. It offers an accessible platform to take on Covid-19 grand corruption as a...

Guidance - Global anti-corruption sanctions: information note for non-government organisations.  “This note provides further information about the [UK’s Global Anti-Corruption] sanctions regime, including its purpose and scope, and the information required in considering designations. Its aim is to support understanding of the regime for those who may wish to submit information to the [Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office] concerning specific designations.” Gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-anti-corruption-sanctions-information-note-for-non-government-organisations/global-anti-corruption-sanctions-information-note-for-non-government-organisations     How Afghanistan’s President Helped His Brother Secure Lucrative Mining Deals with a U.S. Contractor.  “In 2019 SOS International (SOSi), a Virginia company with links to the U.S. military, won exclusive access to mines across Afghanistan. Pres...

COVID procurement under the media microscope.   Pacific anti-corruption journalists investigated the mitigation of potential corruption risks in public procurement in response to COVID-19 during their latest knowledge-sharing session on 28 April, supported by the United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project and the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA). https://www.pacific.undp.org/content/pacific/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2021/covid-procurement-under-the-media-microscope.html   PNG Greater transparency urged on PNG's Covid-19 response.  A transparency group in Papua New Guinea wants the government to release greater detail about how it's funding the Covid-19 response. https://www.fijitimes.com/greater-transparency-urged-on-pngs-covid-19-response/   Accountability is the path to better governance in PNG.  When we look at progress in decentralisation in Papua New Guinea over the last 20 years – the sole c...