Guatemala Plagued by Continuing Instability.

Last week, I wrote a piece on Bernardo Arevalo, the newly elected president of Guatemala, and his Anti-Corruption credentials. Since then, there have been several worrying developments about how effectively Guatemala can fight corruption and the future of its democracy. On Monday, Guatemalan prosecutors arrested Claudia Gonzalez, a representative of Guatemala’s anti-corruption commission, better known as CICIG. According to a report by the AP, Gonzalez was arrested on charges of abuse of authority by a public servant, even though, at the time, she was not officially a government member. According to another report by Yahoo, at the time of her arrest, Gonzalez had been acting as a representative for the numerous other Anti-Corruption officials arrested by the Guatemalan government.

On top of this, despite the official certification of Arevalo as the new president, there remain doubts about his ability to take office. According to a report by Al-Jazeera, the outgoing president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, has assured Arevalo and his campaign that there will be a smooth transition of power. Despite this, Guatemala’s electoral registry has suspended Arevalo’s party Movimento Semilla (the seed Movement). There are still fears that Guatemala’s political establishment, which is notoriously corrupt, will try and find some way to impede Arevalo’s ascension to the presidency. One has to hope that democracy will prevail and that Arevalo can take power.

Anti-Corruption Crusader Wins Guatemala Election.

On Sunday, in the Guatemalan presidential election, a candidate named Bernardo Arevalo ran on an anti-corruption platform. According to an article in the New York Times, Arevalo, the leader of the Movimento Semilla (Seed Movement), is a sociologist and won 58 percent of the vote. In comparison, his opponent Sandra Torres received 37 percent. Despite being a democracy, Guatemala has been plagued by political scandals and societal corruption for years. According to another piece in The Times 2019, Guatemala had a pioneering anti-corruption body backed by the UN called the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, which was shut down due to the efforts of high-ranking officials such as businessmen and politicians who were charged with corruption, but still had enough institutional power prevent prosecutors and other officials favorable to anti-corruption steps from staying in office. Despite the current positivity in Guatemala, an article from the AP suggests that corrupt judges and government officials could try and stop the certification, thus throwing the country back into turmoil. It would be a massive boost for Latin America and the USA if Arevalo could take power and stop the endemic corruption that plagues Latin America.

Ecuador Anti-Corruption Presidential Candidate Assassinated.

Last week Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated while leaving a campaign event in Quito. According to a report by Reuters, Villavicencio was formerly an investigative journalist who focused on exposing corruption and stated that he was not afraid of being targeted by criminal gangs. Violence against politicians in Ecuador is not new. According to a report by the AP from July 23rd, the mayor of Manta, Ecuador’s third largest city, Agustin Intriago, was assassinated by what authorities believe to be organized crime elements.

According to an article by El Pais, both Mexican and Colombian drug cartels have made inroads into Ecuadorian society and have been trafficking drugs, as well as conducting other criminal enterprises. The killing of Villavicencio is concerning for two reasons. First, it hindered ongoing anti-corruption efforts, scaring people into silence and emboldening transnational criminal organizations. Secondly, it adds to the overall feeling of political and social instability in Ecuador.

Ukrainian Military Officers Fired Over Bribery Allegations.

Last Week President Zelenskyy fired officials who led Ukraine’s military recruitment drive over bribery allegations. Under Zelenskyy’s leadership, Ukraine has started to crack down on corruption, partially to improve its prospects of joining the EU and NATO. According to a BBC article, Zelenskyy announced that 30 people would face bribery allegations, including all the regional heads of the military conscription effort. The charges allege that these officials took bribes in cash and cryptocurrency and aided non-disabled men to leave the country. Current Ukrainian law states that all men over 18 able to fight up to 60 can be conscripted. It is admirable to see Zelenskyy clamp down on corruption after years of unchecked greed by other Ukrainian leaders.

Another Ally of Navalny Jailed.

A close associate of Alexei Navalny was jailed for nine years on Monday after being found guilty of “extremism” charges. According to ABC News, Vadim Ostanian, who ran the Siberian office of Navalny’s anti-corruption organization, was guilty in the eyes of the Russian state for organizing an extremist community and belonging to a non-profit that, in the words of the Russian government, “infringes on citizens rights.” Al Jazeera reported that last month another ally of Navalny Liliya Chanysheva was also found guilty on similar charges and sentenced to seven years in a Russian penal colony. It is highly likely that, like Navalny, Ostanian will not get the chance to appeal his conviction and will languish in prison. All of this further proves that Russia is a mafia state.

Corruption Scandal Tarnishes Squeaky Clean Singapore.

Singapore is not generally a place that is prone to corruption scandals. However, last week Transport Minister Subramaniam Iswaran was arrested on corruption charges along with a billionaire hotelier Ong Beng Seng. While it is unclear what exact type of misconduct allegedly occurred, it is possibly bribery in some form. According to The Guardian, Seng brought F1 Racing to Singapore. An article in Yahoo stated that Ministers in Singapore are among the highest paid in the world as a way to discourage corruption. It is unclear how this will resolve itself. However, the Singaporean government is taking it very seriously.

Australia’s National Anti-Corruption Commences Operations.

Last week the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) came into existence. Creating a more robust Anti-Corruption body was a significant priority of the new Labour government under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. According to ABC News (Australia), the NACC will investigate “Serious and Systemic” Corruption. The NACC will also be open to anyone who believes they have evidence of potential corrupt behavior. According to an article in Nine News, 300 online referrals and 100 phone calls detailing possible malfeasance have been submitted.

One of the most high-profile cases so far involves the accounting firm PWC. According to a report by Yahoo, PWC is alleged to have shared confidential tax details from the Australian treasury as a way to increase business. A senator for the Green Party, Barbara Pococok, filed a referral to the NACC because she felt that the Australian tax office and the Australian federal police, as well as PWC, have serious questions to answer. A report in WAtoday.com says that the Green Party is only getting started, and they plan to make more NACC referrals. Unlike other Western countries, Australia is serious about rooting out societal corruption.

Lebanon Still Plagued by Corruption Issues.

Recently, the Lebanese central bank head has been summoned back to the country for questioning. According to a report by AP News, Riad Salameh is facing many financial crimes, including, but limited to, illicit enrichment and money laundering of $330 million. Salameh is facing possible investigations in Germany, Luxembourg, France, and Lebanon. A report by the Washington Post suggests that Lebanon may not send Salameh over to French authorities despite France issuing an Interpol warrant for Salameh’s arrest. The legal wrangling over Salameh appears to be unresolved for some time.

Along with Salameh’s travails, Lebanon has been “grey listed” by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). FATF will closely monitor Lebanon’s efforts to combat money laundering and other financial crimes. According to a report by Reuters, Lebanon scored as only partially compliant in enacting money laundering laws and transparency regarding shell companies. This is another blow to an economy already suffering from high inflation post-COVID-19. Lebanon has much to do if it wants to make progress in eradicating corruption.

Indian Cricket Embroiled in Corruption Scandal.

In recent days Indian cricket has been embroiled in a corruption scandal. According to an article in ESPN, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has charged Indian umpire Jatin Kashyap failed to cooperate with the ICC’s anti-corruption unit. According to a statement by the ICC, Kashyap has been charged with failing to provide accurate or complete information to the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and possibly obstructing the investigation. From all the available reporting, it is unclear what exactly could have caused this investigation to be started. However, cricket has had a history of match-fixing scandals before, and if this story is true, it could spell trouble for Indian cricket.

Sarkozy Loses Appeal on Corruption Charge.

The former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, has lost his appeal against a prison sentence relating to corruption charges. According to the BBC, Sarkozy was sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of attempting to influence a judge. Sarkozy offered the judge a job in Monaco in return for information about the status of an investigation centering on allegations of whether or not the Libyan government gave money to his presidential campaign. Reuters reports that despite being sentenced to three years, two are suspended, and Sarkozy will wear an electronic tag for the other year. Sarkozy is facing several further criminal investigations, so, likely, he is not out of trouble yet.