On Tuesday, Transparency International (TI) released its annual Corruption Perception Index, which shows how corrupt a country is perceived to be. TI ranks country from 0 to 100; the closer a country is to 0, the more corrupt it is; for example, Somalia was ranked 11 out of 100, meaning that TI views them as the most corrupt country in the world. On the other hand, Denmark was ranked 90 out of 100, meaning they were the least corrupt. According to TI’s website, the biggest threat to stopping corruption is the weakening of law & order worldwide, as there is a general lack of accountability from leaders in both democracies and authoritarian regimes. However, there is some good news: according to a report by the Atlantic Council, Ukraine has increased its score from 33 to 36 in the past year, which TI rates as one of the most considerable improvements globally.
Author: petercrispin
Ukraine Embroiled in Another Corruption Scandal.
This past weekend, the Ukrainian government uncovered another large-scale corruption scandal involving missiles for the war effort. According to a report in Aljazeera, employees at a weapons manufacturer called Lviv Arsenal and members of the Ministry of Defense allegedly embezzled $40 million. It was intended to be a payment for missiles used in the war effort. Instead, the money was moved to several offshore accounts, and the military did not receive the 100,000 missiles they ordered. According to a report in NPR, the prosecutor general of Ukraine has announced that the funds have been recovered and will shortly be added to the defense budget. This scandal highlights two major issues. Firstly, corruption is still rife in Ukraine despite significant strides in anti-corruption efforts. Secondly, those 100,000 missiles would have been very handy for the war effort, and instead, several people decided to create a nice little earner for themselves.
Bulgaria and its connections with Russia & Corruption.
Bulgaria has a long and fraught history as a country where corruption has thrived for many years. According to an article in Forbes, Bulgaria is one of the only members of the EU that has not imposed sanctions on the Russian Federation as a state and on Russian individuals. Even Hungary, led by Viktor Orban, has imposed sanctions on Russia. Bulgaria’s lack of movement on sanctions is mainly because the government has close links to Russia at a governmental level and with the oligarchs. According to a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations, one of the main reasons for such a high level of influence is because of an attempted political coup by Russia in 2016. While the coup failed, like it did in Montenegro, it showed that Bulgarian society faces a massive challenge in eradicating Russian influence.
Update on Arevalo.
Back in August, I wrote a piece on the newly elected president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arevalo, who positioned himself as an anti-corruption activist. Last week, Arevalo was finally inaugurated, but only after a last-ditch attempt by his opponents to challenge his authority. According to an article in the New York Times, his opponents in Congress passed a budget that would severely restrict his ability to spend government funds on healthcare and education, two of his main priorities. There have also been numerous legal challenges by his conservative opponents, including a threat to arrest his vice president Karin Herrera on seemingly spurious and politically motivated challenges. In the coming months, Arevalo and Herrera will face further challenges to their authority from conservative opponents and organized criminal threats.
Update on Singapore Corruption.
Last July, Singapore, a country not traditionally known as a hotbed for corruption, indicted their transport minister on corruption and bribery charges. Yesterday, Subramanian Iswaran formally resigned from his post. According to a report by Reuters, Iswaran allegedly took bribes from a Singaporean property magnate called Ong Beng Seng. Records show that in return for advancing Seng’s business interests, Iswaran received tickets to sporting events and musicals and flights on Seng’s private jet. This all comes as a major surprise because, according to Transparency International, Singapore is ranked in the top five of the least corrupt countries in the world, paying their cabinet ministers some of the highest salaries in the world. Iswaran’s fate is still unknown, but one has to assume that Singapore will use him as an example to future ministers of what happens when you take bribes.
China’s Ongoing Battle Against Corruption.
China and, more importantly, President Xi Jinping’s battle against entrenched corruption is continuing to make headline news. According to a report in Bloomberg, Xi’s most recent comments will put large swathes of the Chinese economy on edge, and that could continue to fuel uncertainty both domestically and abroad if one of the world’s biggest economies is in a state of constant turmoil. According to a report by CNN, Xi is primarily focused on misconduct in the healthcare, financial, and infrastructure sectors. These actions raise an interesting question: can corruption ever be truly stopped? While there have been some examples, such as Ukraine, where Zelenskyy has made some impressive strides in the last year, by and large, corruption and greed will always occur. If a country with China’s resources can’t fully root out corruption, then no one can. Catching a few big fish will always look good, but there will always be small fish in a pond that will induce greased palms and the benefits those bring.
Unrest in Ecuador.
Recently, in Ecuador, there has been a rise in violence, particularly post-Covid. However, yesterday, a TV station called TC in the city of Guayaquil was stormed by several gunmen. According to a report in Axios, the attack on the TV station was related to a well-known leader of a notorious gang, Adolfo Macias, escaping from his cell in a maximum-security prison. According to an article in the BBC, 130 prisons are being held hostage by inmates across several prisons across Ecuador. The Ecuadorian president, Daniel Noboa, sworn into office in November, has recently announced an ambitious plan which, according to Reuters, includes building new maximum-security prisons, developing a new gang-related intelligence unit, and procuring new weapons for the security services. This plan would cost $800 million, with the US government contributing 200 million primarily for acquiring the weapons. It appears that Noboa faces a massive task in controlling the prison system and limiting gang-related influences in Ecuadorian society.
LaPierre and the NRA In the Crosshairs of Corruption Allegations.
Yesterday in New York, the corruption trial involving Wayne LaPierre and other high-ranking National Rifle Association associates (NRA) got underway. According to a report in the Washington Post, LaPierre and his associates are accused of misusing funds donated to the non-profit organization. According to the Post, LaPierre used the funds to buy expensive clothes and go on luxury holidays. According to an article in the New York Times, LaPierre was not concerned about any misconduct around him; for instance, a close aide of his allegedly used $100,000 in NRA funds for personal expenses. This trial is only beginning, so I would assume that further revelations will come as it continues.
Menendez faces New Federal Indictment.
Yesterday, the U.S. government unsealed a new indictment relating to Robert Menendez. According to a report in the BBC, Menendez is facing new charges that he accepted gifts such as tickets to Formula One races in return for praising the Qatari government. The indictment also includes details of Menendez’s efforts to help a New Jersey Businessman, Fred Daibes, secure a lucrative investment in Qatar by making positive comments about Qatar. According to a report in the New York Times, this indictment expands upon the allegations that Menendez and his wife Nadine accepted gifts such as gold bars from the Egyptian government and failed to register as foreign agents while conducting business on behalf of Egypt. This new indictment will strengthen the government’s case into Menendez’s dodgy business doings.
Chinese Government is in the Middle of a Major Military Shake-Up.
Xi Jinping and his government have recently conducted a massive anti-corruption purge of the country’s military. According to an article in Axios, Nine generals and three officials who were connected to China’s development of military technology were fired from a Chinese Communist Party working group called Rocket Force, which focuses on China’s missile program. On top of that, The Washington Post reports that Xi appointed a new defense minister, Dong Jun, the former head of the Chinese Navy. The previous defense minister, Li Shangfu, has not been seen in public for two months, and questions are mounting as to his whereabouts. Many experts on China-related policy believe Xi faces an impossible task in rooting out endemic corruption as there is a chronic lack of transparency and accountability within the Chinese military.
Crispin Corruption Report 