ProMedica and Toledo: How Big Healthcare Isn’t the Cure-All For Development.

Last week I was in Toledo, Ohio, a city in middle America that has suffered due to the decline of American manufacturing. It has a beautiful library and baseball stadium and has aspirations of renewal. Walking around town, I noticed several large buildings with the branding of a company called ProMedica. I had never heard of the company before and was curious about what it did and how it gained such a large local footprint. In talking to several people around town, I quickly got the impression that the company had recently run into financial difficulties due to the COVID Pandemic.

According to wtol.com, as of May 23rd of this year, ProMedica had sold off its hospice and home healthcare business for $710 million to pay down its existing debts. They aim to return to their core business of running hospitals in the mid-west. As a result of this downsizing, according to Wtol, around 200 nursing employees have been laid off. On top of all the laid-offs and selling off unprofitable businesses, ProMedica has also lessened investment in Toledo. Recently, they announced that they would invest $10 million into redeveloping the riverwalk; however, in March of this year, ProMedica announced that they pulled out of that partnership due to financial issues. This highlights the perils of allowing one company to dominate a city; if that company fails, the whole town suffers.   

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.   

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.     

Ukrainian Chief Supreme Court Justice Dismissed After Bribery Scandal.

Earlier this week, the chief justice of the Ukrainian supreme court was fired due to being caught up in a bribery scandal. Ukraine is in the process of cracking down on political corruption. According to a report from Reuters, while it is not immediately clear who was arrested, the current chief justice is Vsevolod Kniaziev. According to an article in The Guardian, the bribe may have been paid by a company called The Finance & Credit Group, owned by a well-known businessman called Konstiantyn Zhivago, to influence the court. If you are Kniaziev, seeing pictures of stacks of cash lined up on your living room sofa, surely that can’t be a good sign.

The Downfall and Imprisonment of Imran Khan.

Last week Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, was arrested on corruption charges. According to a BBC report, Khan’s arrest has sparked widespread protests throughout Pakistan. He was forcibly removed from a courtroom by a heavily armed paramilitary unit while facing trial in a separate investigation involving misconduct during his time in office. In recent months, an unknown assailant has made an attempt on his life. Also, in recent months Khan has spoken out against the military’s influence in politics.

Last Friday, according to Reuters, the supreme court overturned Khan’s arrest, which called the arrest unlawful. According to a report in The Guardian, Khan believes that the military was singlehandedly responsible for his arrest. He also claims that the current Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, is involved in a plot to bring him down because he does not want to face him in a future election. The big question is whether or not Khan is genuinely corrupt, or is this all politically motivated? It is probably a little of both; you don’t get into a high office in a place like Pakistan without greasing a few palms. At the same time, Sharif likely sees Khan as a threat in the future.

Odesa Mayor Arrested on Corruption Charges.

Last Thursday, the mayor of Odesa, Hennadii Trukhanov, was arrested in connection with an ongoing corruption investigation. Recently, Ukraine has been in the process of cracking down on governmental misconduct.   According to Radio Free Europe Trukhanov is alleged to have embezzled roughly 2.5 million dollars from Odesa’s budget through a scheme involving the purchase of a disused factory. On Friday, according to Yahoo News Trukhabov was released on bail. While it is an encouraging sign that high-ranking government officials are being investigated over corruption allegations, Ukraine still has much to achieve, or they are serious about cracking down on governmental wrongdoing. 

The EU Aims to Enhance their Anti-Corruption Protocols.

Yesterday, the European Union announced new measures to combat Anti-Corruption. This comes after a recent scandal involving allegations of influence peddling between members of the European Parliament and Qatari government officials. According to a report in The Guardian, the EU executive body plans to criminalize abuse of office, illicit enrichment, and obstruction of justice in cases of misconduct. One of the primary aims of this proposal would be to make it easier for police forces to work together in solving cases across the EU involving transnational criminal groups. This is just a proposal, and despite its importance, it may never come to fruition due to internal European politics.    

Vladlen Tatarsky and the Rise of Pro-Russian Bloggers.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine last year, a new type of blogger has emerged in Russia. According to a report by CNN, a growing group of Russians are acting as war correspondents despite not having a journalistic background. These bloggers have embedded themselves within Russian units on the front lines in Ukraine and have developed close links to the regular army and the Wagner Group paramilitary group. These bloggers have become a vital source for on-the-ground information about the war, as the Russian Government is notoriously unforthcoming about the actual state of the war. It must also be noted that while all these bloggers are ultranationalists and pro-Putin, they are not afraid to voice their opinion on how the war should be fought.

This is the background to the events that occurred in St Petersburg recently. Vladlen Tatarsky was a prominent member of the military blogging community in Russia. Recently, he received a likeness of himself in the form of a figurine that just so happened to be filled with explosives, killing and injuring many others in a crowded restaurant called Street food bar #1 Cafe. According to a report in the New York Times, Tatarsky was handed the statuette by a woman called Nastya, who was a sculptor, while he was giving a talk to about 100 people. Shortly after the explosion, a woman named Daria Trepova, who, according to Sky News, is a supporter of the jailed anti-corruption activist Alexi Navalny. The moral of this tale appears to be that one should always be careful when accepting suspicious-looking statuettes.