AP-INTACT

Get AP-INTACT posts on Twitter (https://twitter.com/apintactnetwork) If a link below does not work, please copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar instead. Has Afghanistan really made progress in the fight against corruption? (opinion)   "The change in [Afghanistan's] 2016 CPI is not significant and could be misleading." Sayed Ikram Afzali, Executive Director/Integrity Watch Afghanistan: https://iwaweb.org/has-afghanistan-really-made-progress-in-the-fight-against-corruption/ Local govts and the police have most corruption cases in Philippines .  Officials from local government units and the Philippine National Police had the most corruption cases at the Ombudsman in 2016, according to the latest data from the Office of the Ombudsman. Lim Buan/Rappler: http://www.rappler.com/nation/161447-lgu-pnp-most-corruption-cases-ombudsman-2016 Malaysians’ trust in the system plunges to all-time low, according to survey .  More than half of Malaysian...

Citizen’s Whistleblowers Forum Launched in India .  In the absence of a credible authority for engaging with whistleblowers, a Citizen’s Whistleblower Forum chaired by a retired justice has been established to encourage whistleblowers to send in their complaints for investigation by the appropriate authorities. Apoorva Mandhani/Live Law: http://www.livelaw.in/citizens-whistleblowers-forum-launched-justice-p-shah-chairman/ SC has unlimited powers in corruption cases, says Pakistan chief justice .  Hearing a grey trafficking case, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar said the Supreme Court had unlimited powers in corruption cases like the Indian Supreme Court. Sohail Khan/The News International: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/184826-SC-has-unlimited-powers-in-corruption-cases-says-CJP What the [Chinese] Public Really Think of Anti-corruption Crackdowns (opinion) .  "If the root of the corruption problem — excessive political intrusion into income distri...

  World: Isis cannot be defeated unless corruption in governments ends, Transparency International UK warns Feb 21, 2017 08:00 pm Transparency International UK has accused western governments, including Britain and the US of ignoring corruption and thereby allowing Islamic State (Isis) to thrive across the world, particularly in the Middle East. In a report titled The Big Spin, released on... Read More       South Korea: Samsung chief’s arrest hampers ‘holding firm’ project Feb 21, 2017 07:30 pm The arrest of Samsung Group’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong last week is feared to be causing a butterfly effect of adversely affecting the conglomerate’s attempt to make its affiliate Samsung Life Insurance a financial holding company. Worries rose  Monday ... Read More       Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia to focus on transparency to fight corruption Feb 21, 2017 07:00 pm Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar said here  on Monday that Saudi Vision 2030 wou...

Today's Top Story Global :  Governments 'must address corruption to defeat IS', says report BBC (TI mention) So-called Islamic State (IS) will never be defeated unless the corrupt conditions that help it to thrive are addressed, a new report claims. More News India :  Majority of States support proposal to make bribery during polls a cognisable offence The New India Express Ireland :  Ireland PM Enda Kenny expected to resign over police scandal  The Guardian Romania :  Romania's corruption decree ditched for good Agence France-Presse UK :  City watchdog investigating HSBC over potential financial crime, bank reveals  The Guardian UK :  UK courts win more powers to freeze assets of human rights violators CNBC Zimbabwe :  As he turns 93, Mugabe dismisses corruption allegations Reuters Opinion Global :  El megaescándalo de corrupción en Latinoamérica (The mega Corruption scandal in Latin America) ABC Color (TI mention) News from Transparenc...

Sri Lanka reiterates commitment to open government principles .  The Sri Lanka government reiterated its commitment to Open Government principles when it submitted the National Action Plan of Sri Lanka to the 75-nation Open Government Partnership to its Washington based Secretariat. Colombo Page: http://www.colombopage.com/archive_17A/Feb06_1486397301CH.php 1MDB-linked Malaysian financier Jho Low's private jet shines light on New Zealand's murky trusts .  "A flamboyantMalaysian financier linked to an international money-laundering probe has laid bare New Zealand's surprising appeal as a destination for the ultra-rich to park their wealth." Straits Times: http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/1mdb-linked-malaysian-financier-jho-lows-private-jet-shines-light-on-new-zealands The 2016 CPI and the Value of Corruption Perceptions (opinion) .  "In sum, while headlines that focus on short-term shifts in CPI values should be treated with extreme ca...

Vietnam PM turns focus on hidden assets .  Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has directed authorities to find the assets of suspects in corruption cases in order to prevent them from being hidden and to help in executing judgments against the accused. Viet Nam News: http://vietnamnews.vn/society/350789/pm-turns-focus-on-hidden-assets.html#q6KY3kdKwz3VK0QR.97 Jurisdiction Expansion: Nepal anti-graft body seeking firm commitment at political level .  The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is seeking a strong political commitment for expanding its jurisdiction as the anti-graft body looks to amend the Corruption Prevention Act-2002 in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Prithvi Man Shrestha /eKantipur: http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-02-09/ciaa-seeking-firm-commitment-at-political-level.html Censorship and the government blacklist sends shock waves through South Korean artists .  "South Korea is now democ...

Get AP-INTACT posts on Twitter (https://twitter.com/apintactnetwork) If a link below does not work, please copy and paste the link into your browser’s address bar instead. Large-Scale Land Acquisitions: Opportunities for Corruption (opinion) .  "Large-scale land deals are often facilitated by corrupt practices perpetrated by the foreign purchaser and/or the host government, through the transactions themselves or through weak institutions." Carina Bentata Gryting/Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2017/01/20/large-scale-land-acquisitions-opportunities-for-corruption/ Building a Cadre of Procurement Professionals (opinion) .  "Government purchases of goods, services, and public works constitute anywhere from 15 percent to as much as 40 percent of total public spending, and thus any government committed to fighting corruption should make procurement a priority." Rick Messick/Global Anticorruption Blog: https://globalanticorr...