Africa
Bankole facing probe on three corruption cases - ICPC
Nigerian Tribune, Nigeria
The Nigerian Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is reportedly probing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, over three different alleged corruption cases. One of those cases involves the employment of Mr. Bankole’s friends and family as contractors in a 5.2 billion naira ($34.5 million) Rural Electrification Project. Reuters reported on June 22 that a group of Nigeria’s parliamentarians were suspended for accusing the speaker of corruption. The group of 11 legislators, calling themselves "The Progressives", called for a probe into allegations that Bankole misappropriated 9 billion naira of an 11 billion budget from 2008 to 2009.
Europe
Mo Ibrahim calls on Britain to act against corruption
The Guardian, UK
Sudanese-born British billionaire Mo Ibrahim has urged the new British government to champion anti-corruption legislation for European companies that seek to do business in Africa. Ibrahim compared Europe unfavourably with the United States where anti-corruption legislation has forced U.S. listed companies to divulge details of their business contracts. TrustLaw reported earlier that Britain had brought in a far-reaching bribery law, expected to come into force in the last few months of the year. The bill creates one of the world’s toughest legal regimes for commercial organisations.
Asia
Property boom stokes corruption in China
Financial Times, UK
China's push to build cheap housing for low-income families is being undermined by some local governments that are using the policy as a front to provide public officials with sweetheart property deals. Beijing has mandated that local governments must allocate a significant proportion of apartments in new housing developments to low-income families; instead, local governments have been found to have allowed their own officials to purchase the new apartments, often at prices significantly below market value.
Latin America
Kirchner downplays Sadous testimony
Buenos Aires Herald, Argentina
The former Argentine ambassador to Venezuela, Eduardo Sadous, has appeared before the Foreign Affairs Committee of Argentina’s Lower House and ratified his previous court testimony that businessmen willing to trade with Venezuela had to pay up to 20 percent of contracts in “commission”. Opposition deputies say the government is “extorting and frightening” Sadous by instructing The Anti-Corruption Office to launch an administrative investigation against him.
North America
Perez to submit letter of resignation Friday
Hartford Courant, United States
Eddie. A. Perez, the mayor of Hartford, the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut, was convicted of five felony corruption charges last week including receiving a bribe, accessory to the fabrication of evidence, conspiracy to fabricate evidence, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny by extortion and a criminal attempt to commit first-degree larceny by extortion. Perez has said that he plans to appeal.
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