Last week, Ukraine and Japan agreed to an Anti-Corruption pact to improve Ukrainian anti-corruption measures. According to a report in Euromaidan, the Ministry of Justice of Japan will help their Ukrainian counterparts enhance Anti-Corruption policies and bring in more personnel to fight corruption. According to a report in the Japan Times, negotiations for this agreement started in June at the G7 conference in Italy. These reforms could help Japanese companies break into the Ukrainian market. Despite recent strides in combating corruption, Ukraine still has much to do.
Author: petercrispin
The Fallout Continues From the Venezuelan Election.
On July 28th, Venezuela had a contested general election. According to a report in The Washington Post, the Venezuelan election commission, which is government-backed, said Nicolas Maduro beat his opponent, the opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, by 7 points. However, independent polling and the government’s records, which it has yet to release, state that Gonzalez won twice the number of votes than Maduro. According to an AP report, numerous civil society leaders worldwide are concerned about the growing number of arrests resulting from the protests over the weekend. Knowing the history of Venezuela, this situation will take a while to resolve itself.
Massive Anti-Corruption Protests Rock Uganda.
Last week, several large-scale protests occurred in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. According to a report in Reuters, at least 73 people were arrested in the protests. The demonstrations in Kenya last month inspired these protests about proposed tax increases. According to a report in Al Jazeera, Several members of parliament are facing corruption charges, as is the speaker of the parliament, Anita Among. In a country with a population of 45 million, 15 million are under 35, and they are frustrated with widespread corruption. It is unclear what will happen next, but it is clear that the young people of Uganda are fed up with rampant corruption.
Spanish PM Sanchez to Testify in Wife’s Trial.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, was summoned by the judge in his wife’s corruption case. According to a report, Sanchez will be questioned on July 30th by Judge Juan Carlos Peinado at the Prime Minister’s official residence. At the center of the case is whether or not Sanchez’s wife used her husband’s political connections to further her business interests. According to a report in USnews Begona Gomez, Sanchez’s wife, claimed that the allegations are part of a right-wing plot to unsettle the current socialist government., It is unclear what will happen next, but if Gomez is found guilty, it could cause political instability.
Menendez Found Guilty on Corruption Charges.
Well, that didn’t take very long. After only 13 hours, Robert Menendez was found guilty on all 16 counts of bribery, extortion, wire fraud, and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government between 2018 and 2022. According to a report in the Washington Post, his co-defendants, Egyptian businessmen Wael Hana and real estate developer Fred Daibes, were also found guilty on similar charges. Within moments of the verdict being handed down, senate democrats were lining up, implored to resign from or otherwise be expelled from office. All of the attention on this case turns to Menendez’s wife, Nadine, who is facing trial on similar charges this fall after undergoing cancer treatment. It is a damming indictment of US politics that Menendez, who narrowly escaped being found guilty on corruption charges in 2017, would be so bold as to continue to engage in corrupt behavior while in office.
Jury Deliberations Start in Menendez Case.
On Friday, Jury deliberations started in the Robert Menendez Corruption trial. Menendez is charged with using his power as a senator to lobby the Egyptian government’s interests in Congress. According to a report in CNN, prosecutors structured their presentation of the case in chapters calling different witnesses involved in Menendez’s various schemes. According to the report in The Hill, Menendez’s attorneys blamed his wife (who is also facing trial this fall on similar charges) for concealing her business doings from her husband. It is unclear how long the deliberations will take.
Attempted Coup Unsettles Bolivian Politics.
Last Wednesday in Bolivia, a former general in the army led a group of troops to attack the presidential palace. According to a report in The Guardian, the current president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, told the coup’s leader, Juan Jose Zuniga, to stand down. According to a report in the AP, the former president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, claimed that Arce had been in on the plot and encouraged the coup as a way to score political points. Recent polls in Bolivia have shown that Arce’s Movement For Socialism (MAS) is unpopular due to an ongoing economic crisis. It is unclear what will happen, but Arce’s position will not be secure for the foreseeable future.
Former European Investment Bank Head Facing Corruption Allegations.
Today, prosecutors for the European Union (EU) looking into financial crimes are investigating the former head of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Werner Hoyer. According to a report in Politico, the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO) is investigating Hoyer and another individual for allegations that they misappropriated EU funds and abused their power in office—police in Germany and Luxembourg, where the EIB have been working jointly on the investigation. According to a report in Euronews, the EIB has 250 billion Euros in capital that funds climate change projects and the future reconstruction of Ukraine. It is unclear what Hoyer’s future is, but the former head of the investment bank that serves the EU is never a good look.
Ex- Chicago Alderman Burke Facing ten years in Prison on Corruption Charges.
Prosecutors in Chicago recommended that former Alderman Ed Burke face ten years on corruption and bribery charges. According to a report in CBS, Burke pressured businesses, including a Burger King franchise, a liquor store called Binny’s Beverage Depot, and the Field Museum of Natural History, to use his private property tax law firm. According to a report by the local PBS affiliate, Burke’s lawyers (who were paid $4 million out of campaign funds) argued that at 80, Burke was just an older man who had dedicated his life to helping the good people of Chicago. I could just about believe that if it wasn’t for the fact that Burke has a net worth of $30 million. Sadly, it appears that democratic politics in Chicago haven’t changed very much over the years.
Adidas Embroiled in Chinese Corruption Allegations.
Today, Adidas is embroiled in a bribery scandal in China. According to a report in Aljazeera, a whistleblower claims senior staff received millions of Euros in kickbacks from outside suppliers. According to an anonymous report in Reuters, these senior staff members also received non-financial perks like real estate. There are also reports that a senior staffer with access to the marketing budget may have used those funds for personal use. Executives at Adidas will be worried by the 4% drop in its share price when the stock market opens this morning.
Crispin Corruption Report 