Trump Indicted on January 6th Charges.

On Tuesday, Former President Donald Trump was indicted concerning his actions around January 6th, 2021. He faces charges of defrauding the U.S. government, two counts of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. The first charge details how Trump and his unindicted co-conspirators attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election by illegal means. The two counts of obstruction relate to Trump’s effort to impede the vote certification process of 2020 and his subsequent efforts to curb the certification investigation. The final charge relates to Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results in states that were close.

This indictment has numerous ramifications for Trump and his cronies. According to an article in the New York Times, close allies such as Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, and Sidney Powell were central to Trump’s plans. While they are (for now) unindicted co-conspirators, they will likely be expected to testify during any trial, and it is also possible that they will face legal jeopardy of their own. On top of all this is the ongoing legal jeopardy that Trump faces in New York and Florida and possible legal issues in Georgia regarding his efforts to overturn the count there. Despite these issues, Trump still has a commanding lead in the race for the Republican nomination. The million-dollar question is at what point (if ever) does Trump’s legal issues possibly become big enough to force him out of the race?

Son of Columbian President Arrested on Money Laundering Charges.

On Saturday, the Columbian attorney general’s office announced that Nicolas Petro, the son of President Gustavo Petro, was arrested on money laundering charges, along with his ex-wife Daysuris Vasquez. According to an article in the New York Times, Petro, a politician in the province of Atlantico in Northern Columbia, was being investigated concerning his links with drug traffickers. Also, The Times states that Gustavo Petro’s brother was arrested on similar money laundering charges in January of this year. According to another article in The Washington Post, Ms. Vasquez claims that funds that were supposed to be directed towards President Petro’s campaign ended up in the pocket of Nicolas Petro. The dinnertime conversation in the Petro household recently must have been awkward.

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.

The Sad State of Captain Tom’s Legacy.

In 2020, at the beginning of COVID, a 99-year-old British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore captured the hearts of a nation by walking laps in his back garden. In a time of deep uncertainty and fear about an ever-growing pandemic, Captain Tom gave everyone hope. He raised £38 million for National Health Service (NHS) charities and was knighted for his efforts. However, since then, much of the initial goodwill has receded as the charity sent up by his daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, has been embroiled in scandal.

A few weeks ago, the Guardian reported that the charity in question called the Captain Tom Fund, has stopped receiving money from donations after it emerged that a building attached to Ingram-Moore’s house, purported to be office space, was denied retrospective planning permission (an essential step in the UK for any new construction). It emerged that the building was not an office but a recreational space, including a swimming pool and changing rooms. Subsequently, Central Bedfordshire Council, which rules on planning issues, ordered the building to be torn down. This is on top of questions being asked about the charity’s governance and where the donations were ending up. Captain Tom lifted many people’s spirits, and seeing his legacy being sullied by family members is profoundly sad.

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.

Paris 2024 Olympic Committee in Corruption Scandal.

Today, French financial police raided the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympic Committee. According to Reuters, officers were looking into allegations of favoritism and embezzlement of public funds. A report in Politico states that the office of the French financial prosecutor (PNF) is also looking into allegations of misconduct at Solideo, an organization related to Olympic construction projects. Corruption and the Olympics have a rich history; in recent years, the Olympics in Rio and Tokyo have been dogged by corruption scandals. Despite the Olympic Committee partnering with Transparency International, Paris 2024 may be in the running for a gold medal in malfeasance.

Where in the World is Jho Low?

Recently, numerous reports have surfaced regarding the whereabouts of the fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low. Low is involved in the infamous 1MDB scandal, which involved Low stealing billions of dollars from a now dormant Malaysian government fund. According to a report by Reuters, Low was spotted in Macau hiding out from the international authorities aiming to bring him to justice. Macau, a haven for gambling, increases the possibility that Low was frittering away his ill-gotten gains at the baccarat tables. Yesterday it was reported by al-Jazeera that a close associate of Jho Low named Kee Kok Thiam died of a “sudden massive stroke” shortly after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) confirmed that Thiam was the one who confirmed Low’s whereabouts. The big question is, was Thiam’s death of natural causes, or did Low play a role in Thiam’s untimely demise?

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.