Yesterday, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, Peter Murrell, was found guilty of embezzling £450k in party funds. According to a report in the Guardian, current SNP leader John Swinney claims to have been unaware of Murrell’s actions, as does his ex-wife and former first minister Nicola Sturgeon. The sheer amount of money spent and the variety of items is mind-boggling. According to a report on ITV, Murrell spent £3k on a high-end coffee machine, as well as £2k on salt and pepper shakers, a new VW Golf, a new Jaguar, and a £124k motorhome. The length of Murrell is unclear as of this writing, but he should have plenty of time to read the book of selected speeches by his ex-wife that he bought for £22.
Category: International Corruption
Adani to be Cleared in Bribery Case.
Yesterday, news reports emerged that Gautam Adani, one of India’s richest men and an ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will have the bribery charges against him dropped. According to a report in the Washington Post, Adani was facing charges that he paid millions in bribes to Indian government officials while telling U.S.-based investors about his strong anti-bribery principles. U.S prosecutors alleged that Adani, worth $104 billion, bribed Indian officials to the tune of $250 Million to secure solar energy contracts. In an interesting twist, Adani said that if his case were dropped, he would invest 10 billion in the U.S. economy. For someone who is being cleared in a large-scale bribery case, offering $10 billion in investments to the U.S. economy sounds suspiciously like a bribe.
Polish Government Seeking the Extradition of Ziobro from the U.S.
The Polish Government announced that it was seeking the extradition of its former justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, from Hungary to the U.S According to a report in The Guardian, Ziobro is facing allegations of diverting funds meant to go towards victims of crime to his own personal interests. In particular, Ziobro is accused of buying the controversial Israeli software Pegasus to listen in on his political opponents. Ziobro was being sheltered in Hungary by the now former president Viktor Orban. It is an open question whether Ziobro will actually face justice back in Poland.
Tensions between Mexico and the U.S rise due to Moya’s indictment.
Last Wednesday, the Department of Justice Charged Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa in Mexico, with conspiracy with the Sinaloa drug cartel. According to a report in the Washington Post, Moya allegedly helped transport drugs such as fentanyl in the U.S in return for political favors involving the Sinaloa cartel. This further complicates an already fraught relationship between the Trump administration and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Last Saturday, Moya resigned, according to a report in Al Jazeera that also states that in the 2021 Mexican election, Moya supported members of the cartel who threatened Moya’s political opponents with kidnapping as well as stuffing ballot boxes on election day. It is unclear what will happen next to Moya, but I have a feeling he will be extradited to the U.S.
Former Bulgarian President Radev reclaims Power.
This morning, the former president of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, was sworn in as Prime Minister with a resounding majority. He had been the president of Bulgaria (a largely ceremonial role). According to a report in the Washington Post, Radev was the leader of the anti-corruption protests that toppled the previous government of Boyko Borisov. While taking a strong anti-corruption stance is admirable, Radev also appears to have some pro-Russian sentiments in openly criticizing the previous government’s warm relations with Ukraine. According to a report in Al-Jazeera Bulgarian police have seized $1.1 million that was allegedly used in buying votes and subsequently many political figures including local councilors and mayors have been arrested. I applaud Radev for taking a strong anti-corruption stance, but I fear that could be undermined if he forges close links to Putin and Russia.
Orban’s defeat continues to Cause Political Ripples Both Domestically and internationally.
On Sunday, Viktor Orban, who had been Prime Minister of Hungary for 16 years, was heavily defeated by the upstart candidate Peter Magyar. Orban’s Fidesz party was reduced to only 55 seats in the 199-seat Parliament, allowing Magyar’s Tisza to have a supermajority to hopefully undo the most extreme excesses of the Orban era. According to a report in the Guardian, Hungarians were fed up with the stagnant economy and woeful healthcare and education systems that have been neglected for far too long. As for Peter Magyar, he is an interesting figure in Hungarian politics. He was an Orbán loyalist for many years, but he broke with the government over a scandal relating to the pardoning of a government official who covered up years of abuse at a state-run children’s home. According to a report by PBS, Magyar wants parliament to transfer power on May 5th; whether that happens is up for debate.
Stakes in the Hungarian Election Are Ramping Up
On April 12, Hungary is facing one of the most consequential elections in its history. The two main contenders are Viktor Orbán, the autocratic leader of the Fidesz Party (which, in English, roughly translates to Hungarian Civic Alliance). His main opponent is Peter Magyar, the head of the Tisza Party (roughly translated as the Respect and Freedom Party. Magyar is a former Orbán loyalist who turned against his boss due to the rampant corruption in Orbán’s government. Even though the election is still weeks away, there have been troubling allegations made about Orban’s campaign. Firstly, according to a report in the BBC, voter intimidation has been widely reported, with political operatives attached to Fidesz offering money and, in some cases, illegal drugs to voters to induce them. On top of that, there was a report last Saturday in the Washington Post about a plan by Russian Intelligence to shore up support for Orban by staging a fake assassination attempt against him. As the election date nears, I am sure we will hear of more tactics to sway the election in Orban’s favor.
Former Ghana Finance Minister Bids for Permanent Residence in the U.S.
The former Ghanaian finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who is facing corruption charges back in Ghana, is attempting to gain permanent residency in the United States. According to a report by the website Semafor, Ofori-Atta was detained by ICE agents in January for overstaying his visa. During Ofori-Atta’s tenure, he was accused of awarding public contracts to Databank, a company he co-founded, and of allegedly misusing state funds. As of right now, the Ghanaian government is pursuing extradition proceedings against Ofori Atta. Who knows what will happen next, but somehow I wouldn’t be surprised if Ofori-Atta gets his freedom in this country, but at a price.
Tensions Grow Between Ukraine and Hungary.
Tensions between Hungary and Ukraine have increased today. This is due to Hungarian authorities seizing $90 million in funds from Ukraine’s state savings bank Oschadbank, as well as 9 KGs of gold. According to a report in the BBC, the money and gold were destined for Austria, which has been a regular occurrence since the start of the war. However, the Hungarian authorities stated that this shipment was seized due to money-laundering concerns. The six Ukrainian bank workers who were accompanying the shipment were released today after successful diplomatic negotiations between the two countries. It seems rich from Hungary to claim that this shipment of money could have been involved in money laundering; Hungary isn’t exactly known as a paragon for anti-corruption. It seems much more likely that Orban, who is facing a tricky election next month, is trying to whip up anti-Ukrainian sentiment for his own political gains.
Anti-Corruption Protests Erupt in Albania.
Last weekend, a series of Anti-Corruption protests erupted in Albania’s capital, Tirana. Albania has been trying to innovate in its fight against endemic corruption. According to a report in Al-Jazeera, police used water cannons and tear gas against the protestors, while in return the protesters lobbed Molotov Cocktails at the police. The protestors aim to force Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. According to a report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the Albanian Anti-Corruption organization known as SPAK opened criminal proceedings against Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku. She was allegedly interfering in public procurement processes for the construction of the Llogara Tunnel in Southern Albania to favor certain companies. It is unclear whether or not the prime minister or the deputy prime minister will ever face justice.
Crispin Corruption Report 