KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Former state Sen. David Fowler is accused of breaking a state law that prohibits lobbyists from making direct campaign donations to legislative candidates.
Fowler is registered as a lobbyist for Family Action of Tennessee, an organization which promotes conservative issues.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reports he is accused of giving $100 to Republican state Rep. Stacey Campfield, who represents Knoxville.
Full Story
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Monday, 8 September 2008
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert तो be indicted in a string of corruption cases
Israel's police are uggesting that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert be indicted in a string of corruption cases.
An official document, सय्स the police are seeking to indict Olmert in matters that include receiving tens of thousands of dollars from a U.S. businessman and double-billing Jewish groups for trips abroad.
The suggestion would have only limited effect. Whether to indict Olmert is a decision the attorney general would make, and police recommendations to indict Israeli leaders have been turned down in the past.
As for the political effect, Olmert has already announced he would resign later this month because of the multiple corruption investigations.
Though he has been dogged by corruption charges through his long public career, Olmert has never been indicted and has denied all wrongdoing.
Alarming corruption level in Goa
PANAJI: Goa has an ‘alarming’ level of corruption, finds a study involving below poverty level families vis-�-vis their access to public services. The state rubs shoulders with Nagaland among smaller states and Union territories, and five other bigger states, including Bihar.
The joint study by Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies (CMS) and Transparency International India (TII) and released recently covered all 31 states and union territories and interviewed the poor in urban slums and rural areas.
The states were ranked into four levels - alarming, very high, high and moderate. Among the bigger states who share the ‘honours’ with Goa for the alarming level of corruption are Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh.
Chief Secretary J P Singh declined to comment, saying, “I will have to see the report.” However, Ganesh Chodankar, general secretary, Goa Government Employees Association said the findings are accurate. “For any appointment in government service, one has to pay huge sums underhand,” he said.
“It is the political class which is responsible for the malaise,” he said.
In Goa, households of poor families in Panaji, Margao, Ponda and Sanguem were contacted for the survey on corruption in eleven public services, including power, water supply, as also need-based services like land records/registration, housing, and police.
As far as awareness about Right to Information Act and its use by BPL households is concerned, Goa figured at the bottom with only 1.2% of BPL families in the state aware about the potential of RTI as a tool to curb corruption.
The awareness in Bihar was marginally higher at 1.4%, Himachal Pradesh 2.9%, Haryana 2.9% while Andhra Pradesh topped with 13%.
The joint study by Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies (CMS) and Transparency International India (TII) and released recently covered all 31 states and union territories and interviewed the poor in urban slums and rural areas.
The states were ranked into four levels - alarming, very high, high and moderate. Among the bigger states who share the ‘honours’ with Goa for the alarming level of corruption are Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh.
Chief Secretary J P Singh declined to comment, saying, “I will have to see the report.” However, Ganesh Chodankar, general secretary, Goa Government Employees Association said the findings are accurate. “For any appointment in government service, one has to pay huge sums underhand,” he said.
“It is the political class which is responsible for the malaise,” he said.
In Goa, households of poor families in Panaji, Margao, Ponda and Sanguem were contacted for the survey on corruption in eleven public services, including power, water supply, as also need-based services like land records/registration, housing, and police.
As far as awareness about Right to Information Act and its use by BPL households is concerned, Goa figured at the bottom with only 1.2% of BPL families in the state aware about the potential of RTI as a tool to curb corruption.
The awareness in Bihar was marginally higher at 1.4%, Himachal Pradesh 2.9%, Haryana 2.9% while Andhra Pradesh topped with 13%.
Seoul city councilmen have been indicted at once for receiving money from Seoul Metropolitan Council
A total of 28 Seoul city councilmen have been indicted at once for receiving money from Seoul Metropolitan Council Chairman Kim Gui-hwan during the 18th general election and the vote to choose the chairman of the city council. Four of the indicted councilmen have been charged with taking W2-W3 million (US$1=W1,121) for their help during the mid-April vote to choose the chairman, while the remaining 24 have allegedly took W600,000 to W1 million in early April, before the general election. There are 106 seats on the Seoul Metropolitan Council, so almost one-third of the councilmen have been indicted. This is unprecedented. The Seoul Metropolitan Council's image has taken a hard hit, and by-elections to fill vacant posts may be inevitable depending on the results of the trials.
All of the 28 indicted councilmen are from the ruling Grand National Party. The reason council chairman Kim bribed only GNP members was because there was no need to pay off members of other parties. Out of the 106 seats in the council, 100 are from the GNP. When a GNP councilman wants to become chairman, he only needs to bribe people in his party. This type of incident was probably not restricted to the election of the chairman. The Seoul Metropolitan Council has made several decisions that were hard for the public to accept, including allowing private crammers to operate at night, only to reverse them. There was little room if any for opposing views, since the lot of them belong to the same party.
This incident should be seen as the result of a monopoly in regional governments. A similar case is taking place in a ward council in Gwangju that prosecutors are investigating. Just like Seoul, Gwangju's city council is monopolized by a single party. A provincial council that cannot even keep itself in check cannot possibly keep a local government head in check.
Everybody will probably agree that corruption is the biggest problem facing our local governments. The reality is that customarily in our local governments, a political party is not a group that takes in public opinion, but the root of cryonyism and corruption. We must put limits on the system of nominations by the political parties in local elections and boost the number of proportional representation seats in provincial councils. Reforms of the local administrative system should also be discussed in this regard. There are less than two years left before the next local elections.ICAC recommends charges | The Australian
"THE New South Wales corruption watchdog has recommended consideration of criminal charges against another 10 people over bribery and fraud at RailCorp involving millions of dollars.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) today handed down its third and fourth reports from its lengthy inquiry into bribery and fraud within the state-owned corporation.
The first two reports, released last month, asked for criminal charges to be considered against six people who are collectively accused of scamming millions of dollars from RailCorp.
The investigation had 'raised a significant number of corruption issues' across all areas, ICAC said.
Instead of making recommendations about RailCorp now, it would instead canvass all the corruption issues in its final report due out later this year, it said.
Today it made corruption findings against former RailCorp employees Allan Walker, Kevin Dulhunty, Paul Sventek, Ivan Stanic and eight contractors - Adam Azzopardi, William Kuipers, Michael Napier, Matthew Napier, Eric Kreichichwost, Paul Szoboszlay, Nick Kouraos and Mark Palombo.
All but Mr Sventek and Mr Kreichichvost have been recommended to be considered for prosecution.
'The ICAC will seek the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) with respect to the prosecution of the above individuals for various criminal offences,' the watchdog said."
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) today handed down its third and fourth reports from its lengthy inquiry into bribery and fraud within the state-owned corporation.
The first two reports, released last month, asked for criminal charges to be considered against six people who are collectively accused of scamming millions of dollars from RailCorp.
The investigation had 'raised a significant number of corruption issues' across all areas, ICAC said.
Instead of making recommendations about RailCorp now, it would instead canvass all the corruption issues in its final report due out later this year, it said.
Today it made corruption findings against former RailCorp employees Allan Walker, Kevin Dulhunty, Paul Sventek, Ivan Stanic and eight contractors - Adam Azzopardi, William Kuipers, Michael Napier, Matthew Napier, Eric Kreichichwost, Paul Szoboszlay, Nick Kouraos and Mark Palombo.
All but Mr Sventek and Mr Kreichichvost have been recommended to be considered for prosecution.
'The ICAC will seek the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) with respect to the prosecution of the above individuals for various criminal offences,' the watchdog said."
RailCorp workers received corrupt payments: ICAC - National - smh.com.au
"RailCorp employees engaged in corrupt behaviour involving hundreds of thousands of dollars, the corruption watchdog has found as part of its findings into the biggest investigation into the railways in a decade.
In the latest two reports into corrupt behaviour at RailCorp, released this morning, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) found that former RailCorp employee Alan Walker, along with others, received more than $500,000 in connection with his role in falsifying plant hire dockets."
In the latest two reports into corrupt behaviour at RailCorp, released this morning, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) found that former RailCorp employee Alan Walker, along with others, received more than $500,000 in connection with his role in falsifying plant hire dockets."
The Jakarta Post - Drugs trafficking and corruption
This is a response to an article titledforeign drug convicts are on deathrow,' (thejakartapost.com, Aug. 30).
The core of this problem is not the drug traffickers, but the corruption which is omnipresent in Indonesia.
Corruption is the root of this illegality, as is the case with many other offences. Such individuals would not risk hanging if they didn't value their chances of getting away with the crime they are committing.
Why are such cases more limited in other countries such as Singapore?
Maybe when the Indonesian law enforcement agencies at all levels are honestly and objectivelythen drug trafficking, human smuggling, taking bribes instead of applying fines, issuing documents for the transport of illegal timber, minerals, oil, etc... will not be the everyday norm.
But as long as corrupt police officers (which are not few), at all levels, are frequenting at karaoke and nightclubs around the country mixing themselves more with activities and people of dubious nature rather than carrying out the jobs they are paid to do, then Indonesia remains very, very, very far from being 'clean' or 'democratic.'"
The core of this problem is not the drug traffickers, but the corruption which is omnipresent in Indonesia.
Corruption is the root of this illegality, as is the case with many other offences. Such individuals would not risk hanging if they didn't value their chances of getting away with the crime they are committing.
Why are such cases more limited in other countries such as Singapore?
Maybe when the Indonesian law enforcement agencies at all levels are honestly and objectivelythen drug trafficking, human smuggling, taking bribes instead of applying fines, issuing documents for the transport of illegal timber, minerals, oil, etc... will not be the everyday norm.
But as long as corrupt police officers (which are not few), at all levels, are frequenting at karaoke and nightclubs around the country mixing themselves more with activities and people of dubious nature rather than carrying out the jobs they are paid to do, then Indonesia remains very, very, very far from being 'clean' or 'democratic.'"
Thursday, 4 September 2008
Leniency in Sentencing for Corruption of Abramoff
Jack Abramoff, the once high-flying lobbyist who pleaded guilty to a scheme to corrupt Congress, asked a federal judge for mercy on Wednesday, saying he was “not a bad man” although he acknowledged he “did many bad things.”
In a letter sent to Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, the day before she was to sentence him in a Washington courtroom, Mr. Abramoff wrote: “So much that happens in Washington stretches the envelope, skirts the spirit of the law and lives in the loopholes. But even by those standards, I blundered farther than even those excesses would allow.
In a letter sent to Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, the day before she was to sentence him in a Washington courtroom, Mr. Abramoff wrote: “So much that happens in Washington stretches the envelope, skirts the spirit of the law and lives in the loopholes. But even by those standards, I blundered farther than even those excesses would allow.
He said he had contemplated his behavior during the nearly two years he had already served in prison for an unrelated case involving fraud connected to cruise ships in Florida.
Prosecutors have already asked Judge Huvelle to pare years off the jail term recommended in federal sentencing guidelines, citing Mr. Abramoff’s cooperation in wide-ranging investigations that have resulted in the convictions of one congressman, several Congressional aides and some executive branch officials.
Although he could face up to 11 years in the Congressional corruption case, prosecutors have recommended a sentence of about half that.
The sentencing on Thursday is expected to include public statements from some leaders of American Indian tribes that were defrauded by Mr. Abramoff, in his role as their lobbyist before Congress.
Man faces charges of corruption of minors - lehighvalleylive.com
LEHIGH TWP. | The Northampton County District Attorney's Office withdrew several charges against a New York City man accused of fondling a 5-year-old girl from November 2005 to May 2006.
John Neal Conigliaro, 46, of Brooklyn, N.Y., waived charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors to county court Wednesday at his preliminary hearing before District Judge William Zaun while the district attorney's office agreed to drop charges of rape, deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and indecent exposure.
Police said the assaults occurred in Conigliaro's former home in Walnutport prior to him serving almost two years in prison on an unrelated simple assault and harassment charge.
Police said the girl told a relative in February about the sexual abuse and the relative told children's services, police said.
Police said Conigliaro denied the allegations then changed his story after consenting to a polygraph test. According to court documents, Conigliaro told the examiner the 5-year-old girl initiated sexual contact with him by grabbing him.
He remains in Northampton County Prison on $100,000 bail."
John Neal Conigliaro, 46, of Brooklyn, N.Y., waived charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors to county court Wednesday at his preliminary hearing before District Judge William Zaun while the district attorney's office agreed to drop charges of rape, deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and indecent exposure.
Police said the assaults occurred in Conigliaro's former home in Walnutport prior to him serving almost two years in prison on an unrelated simple assault and harassment charge.
Police said the girl told a relative in February about the sexual abuse and the relative told children's services, police said.
Police said Conigliaro denied the allegations then changed his story after consenting to a polygraph test. According to court documents, Conigliaro told the examiner the 5-year-old girl initiated sexual contact with him by grabbing him.
He remains in Northampton County Prison on $100,000 bail."
Corruption Gets Indonesian prosecutor gets 20 years
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's corruption court on Thursday sentenced a former top prosecutor to 20 years in prison for taking bribes in a high-profile graft case involving the attorney general's office.
Urip Tri Gunawan was detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission in March and charged with accepting $660,000 in cash soon after his office dropped a graft investigation against Indonesian tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim.
The chief judge told the court that Gunawan had been found guilty, and that he had been sentenced to 20 years in jail and fined 500 million rupiah ($54,340).
Gunawan had led the attorney general's investigation into the alleged misuse of central bank funds by Nursalim's bank at the time of the Asian financial crisis, but his office dropped the probe earlier this year."
Urip Tri Gunawan was detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission in March and charged with accepting $660,000 in cash soon after his office dropped a graft investigation against Indonesian tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim.
The chief judge told the court that Gunawan had been found guilty, and that he had been sentenced to 20 years in jail and fined 500 million rupiah ($54,340).
Gunawan had led the attorney general's investigation into the alleged misuse of central bank funds by Nursalim's bank at the time of the Asian financial crisis, but his office dropped the probe earlier this year."
Corruption prosecutor wants items kept sealed
EL PASO -- The lead federal prosecutor in the ongoing public corruption investigation that involves 12 separate cases and 80 persons of interest said that most sealed documents in the case need to remain that way and that no hearing on what should become public is needed, according to a court filing that became public Wednesday.
But, in a footnote, the government said it would look into unsealing some documents.
'By separate motion, the government will seek to enlarge the Court's previous disclosure by moving to unseal redacted versions of the transcripts to the sealed hearings,' the government wrote.
'They will be provided to the Court for its review and approval in a sealed fashion, since no unsealing order has yet to be issued.'
The government's motion was written by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof and is in response to a request by a media outlet in El Paso to have all sealed records open. Kanof, who is the government's prosecutor in the investigations, also wrote that the request by El Paso Media Group may be moot because one guilty plea was entered in open court.
'The concern of the possibility that all proceedings in the future will exclude the public and media is contradicted and rendered moot by the (Fernando) Parra plea,' the government wrote.
Parra, a politically connected computer technician, became the ninth person to plea guilty in the ongoing public corruption case. He did so in July in open court.
But, in a footnote, the government said it would look into unsealing some documents.
'By separate motion, the government will seek to enlarge the Court's previous disclosure by moving to unseal redacted versions of the transcripts to the sealed hearings,' the government wrote.
'They will be provided to the Court for its review and approval in a sealed fashion, since no unsealing order has yet to be issued.'
The government's motion was written by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof and is in response to a request by a media outlet in El Paso to have all sealed records open. Kanof, who is the government's prosecutor in the investigations, also wrote that the request by El Paso Media Group may be moot because one guilty plea was entered in open court.
'The concern of the possibility that all proceedings in the future will exclude the public and media is contradicted and rendered moot by the (Fernando) Parra plea,' the government wrote.
Parra, a politically connected computer technician, became the ninth person to plea guilty in the ongoing public corruption case. He did so in July in open court.
Parra had been implicated in the investigation before his pleading.
All of the other eight guilty pleadings were entered in a closed courtroom, and the majority of documents in those cases remain sealed.
The El Paso Media Group, which publishes Newspaper Tree, filed a motion in August in federal court asking that the sealed documents relating to the eight people who have pleaded guilty in the FBI investigation be unsealed, and that future proceedings also be open.
The government had until this week to respond and is asking that the group's request to be a part of the case be denied. The government also wrote that future aspects of this case may be opened.
All court proceedings in this case last week involving former El Paso Independent School District Trustee Salvador "Sal" Mena Jr. were open. He was arrested on charges filed in a sealed indictment, but as soon as he appeared in court, the document was unsealed.
Mena's Tuesday arraignment is also expected to be open.
U.S. Marshals Service officials said Mena was still in custody Wednesday afternoon, but where he was being held could not be disclosed.
Jail records show that Mena was released on bond Friday, and speculation about Mena's health surfaced Monday when emergency crews went to his home.
EMS and police reports show that emergency personnel went to Mena's apartment at 2:18 p.m. Monday and that a man was taken by ambulance to a hospital. Reports that Mena remained at the Peak Psychiatric Hospital in Santa Teresa have not been confirmed.
A news release sent by the Marshals Service over the weekend stated that Mena was prematurely released from jail and that he should not have been released before properly signing and submitting his bond.
The news release said corrective action would be taken by the Marshals Service office. Mena was back in custody Tuesday. It was unknown whether he had filled out the bond paperwork, and public court records do have him going back to court until Tuesday.
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
China corruption convictions abroad a warning
"BEIJING, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The convictions of two former Bank of China managers and their wives for money laundering and racketeering in the United States will send a warning signal to Chinese officials on the risks of corruption, state media said.
A U.S. federal jury in Las Vegas last Friday convicted Xu Chaofan and Xu Guojun, former branch managers at the Bank of China and their wives in connection with a scheme to defraud the bank of at least $485 million over 13 years.
The official China Daily on Tuesday cited Zhang Yong, head of law research at Nankai University, as saying the case, along with a separate one in which a Chinese national was repatriated from Canada for prosecution, would serve to warn officials that they could not escape from legal repercussions overseas.
The cases offered preliminary signs of the type of cooperation that law enforcement officials in China would carry out with those in the United States and Canada, Zhang said.
'I'm convinced it's the trend for the future,' the paper quoted him as saying."
China faces a serious official corruption problem, which it is trying to stamp out through a range of measures, including heavy sentences, including the death penalty. Sentencing in the U.S. case will be on Nov. 24. (Reporting by Jason Subler; Editing by Ken Wills)
A U.S. federal jury in Las Vegas last Friday convicted Xu Chaofan and Xu Guojun, former branch managers at the Bank of China and their wives in connection with a scheme to defraud the bank of at least $485 million over 13 years.
The official China Daily on Tuesday cited Zhang Yong, head of law research at Nankai University, as saying the case, along with a separate one in which a Chinese national was repatriated from Canada for prosecution, would serve to warn officials that they could not escape from legal repercussions overseas.
The cases offered preliminary signs of the type of cooperation that law enforcement officials in China would carry out with those in the United States and Canada, Zhang said.
'I'm convinced it's the trend for the future,' the paper quoted him as saying."
China faces a serious official corruption problem, which it is trying to stamp out through a range of measures, including heavy sentences, including the death penalty. Sentencing in the U.S. case will be on Nov. 24. (Reporting by Jason Subler; Editing by Ken Wills)
Corruption Of Internet betting poses problem for tennis -- amNY.com
"For more than a year now, Nikolay Davydenko, the fifth seed at the U.S. Open, has played under the onus of an investigation into the suspicious Internet betting patterns associated with his match against Martin Arguello in Poland last August.
Appeals by Davydenko's lawyer have extended the investigation, but the Association of Tennis Professionals says it is committed to thoroughly carrying out the probe of what is known as the 'Sopot Match' because of the threat of corruption that betting, especially Internet betting, poses to the sport.
'We need to take as long it takes to determine if someone was involved,' said Kris Dent, the ATP's director of corporate communications. 'The absolute bottom line for the ATP is that integrity is the most important aspect of our game, and that tennis has to be viewed as clean and without any hint of corruption.'
To that end, the ruling bodies of tennis recently announced the creation of the Integrity Unit, an independent investigatory and prosecutorial arm that will be headed by former Scotland Yard detective Jeff Rees. The ATP, the Women's Tennis Association, the International Tennis Federation and the Grand Slam Committee have agreed to support the unit and operate under the same set of rules and penalties."
Appeals by Davydenko's lawyer have extended the investigation, but the Association of Tennis Professionals says it is committed to thoroughly carrying out the probe of what is known as the 'Sopot Match' because of the threat of corruption that betting, especially Internet betting, poses to the sport.
'We need to take as long it takes to determine if someone was involved,' said Kris Dent, the ATP's director of corporate communications. 'The absolute bottom line for the ATP is that integrity is the most important aspect of our game, and that tennis has to be viewed as clean and without any hint of corruption.'
To that end, the ruling bodies of tennis recently announced the creation of the Integrity Unit, an independent investigatory and prosecutorial arm that will be headed by former Scotland Yard detective Jeff Rees. The ATP, the Women's Tennis Association, the International Tennis Federation and the Grand Slam Committee have agreed to support the unit and operate under the same set of rules and penalties."
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Opinion: corruption as a popular culture
Read More Here: "Phnom Penh's streets are teeming with motorbikes, hundreds of them, crisscrossing busy traffic without seeming to look or care where they are going. Collisions are inevitable. But that's not the point of this story.
Hun, 24, was tearing down the street at high speed when he hit the biker, witnesses reported, and his car ripped off an arm and a leg. The biker, Sam Sabo, was killed. Hun began to drive off, but running over the motorbike had shredded a tire. He had to pull over, so there he sat in his big black Cadillac Escalade sport utility vehicle."
Hun, 24, was tearing down the street at high speed when he hit the biker, witnesses reported, and his car ripped off an arm and a leg. The biker, Sam Sabo, was killed. Hun began to drive off, but running over the motorbike had shredded a tire. He had to pull over, so there he sat in his big black Cadillac Escalade sport utility vehicle."
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan - Corruption charges: Three town nazims ordered to clear position by Sept 1
Read More Here: "RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Local Government Commission on Saturday directed the nazims of Rawal, Potohar and Murree Towns to submit their replies to the corruption charges, leveled against them in the special audit reports, by 1st September, sources in the commission told Daily Times on Saturday.
Rawal Town Nazim Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Potohar Town Nazim Hamid Nawaz Raja and Murree Tehsil Nazim Sardar Saleem are facing the charge of misusing funds of a number of development schemes and were directed on August 21 to appear before the commission on August 23.
The three nazims along with nazims of about 21 town nazims appeared before the commission on Saturday and told it that it was not possible for them to submit the replies of charges mentioned in the notices received on August 21.
The nazims sought at least 60 days to submit replies, but the commission directed them to submit replies by September 1."
Rawal Town Nazim Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Potohar Town Nazim Hamid Nawaz Raja and Murree Tehsil Nazim Sardar Saleem are facing the charge of misusing funds of a number of development schemes and were directed on August 21 to appear before the commission on August 23.
The three nazims along with nazims of about 21 town nazims appeared before the commission on Saturday and told it that it was not possible for them to submit the replies of charges mentioned in the notices received on August 21.
The nazims sought at least 60 days to submit replies, but the commission directed them to submit replies by September 1."
Corruption hurts state investment: Victorian Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu
Read More Here: "CORRUPTION was damaging Victoria's ability to attract economic investment after a series of scandals involving government contracts, Brimbank Council and the racing industry, Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said yesterday.
'The reputation that Victoria has had … (for) good government is important as part of our competitive edge, and if that erodes, then we're throwing away a vital opportunity to attract more investment.'
It is the first time Mr Baillieu has explicitly linked graft allegations with economic performance, and it came as he said the Government's inaction had contributed to the decline in manufacturing.
Mr Baillieu is pushing for Victoria to form an independent anti-corruption commission.
'In a little over 12 months, we've seen extraordinary allegations of corruption in the police force, in local government, and corruption in the racing industry,' he said."
'The reputation that Victoria has had … (for) good government is important as part of our competitive edge, and if that erodes, then we're throwing away a vital opportunity to attract more investment.'
It is the first time Mr Baillieu has explicitly linked graft allegations with economic performance, and it came as he said the Government's inaction had contributed to the decline in manufacturing.
Mr Baillieu is pushing for Victoria to form an independent anti-corruption commission.
'In a little over 12 months, we've seen extraordinary allegations of corruption in the police force, in local government, and corruption in the racing industry,' he said."
More debate on anti-corruption body - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Read More Here: "Premier David Bartlett has committed to giving the state an anti-corruption body next year to investigate allegations of corruption in the Government and the police service.
But Mr Bartlett has warned against giving the body too much power.
Independent MLC Terry Martin has welcomed moves to form an anti-corruption body but says he will not support limiting its ability to investigate past wrongs.
'I will not support in any way a proposal that limits the powers of an ICAC, that tries to draw, in David Bartlett's words, a line in the sand,' Mr Martin said."
But Mr Bartlett has warned against giving the body too much power.
Independent MLC Terry Martin has welcomed moves to form an anti-corruption body but says he will not support limiting its ability to investigate past wrongs.
'I will not support in any way a proposal that limits the powers of an ICAC, that tries to draw, in David Bartlett's words, a line in the sand,' Mr Martin said."
Cheney Getting Caught Up In Senator Stevens Corruption Trial
Read More Here: "Back in June 25, 2006, the FBI recorded Senator Ted Stevens talking with Bill Allen, an oil-services executive, about how he could get an oil pipeline bill passed through the Alaska Legislature.
Stevens said to Allen 'I'm gonna try to see if I can get some bigwigs from back here and say, 'Look … you gotta get this done.' Cheney wrote a letter two days later to the Alaska legislature recommending they 'promptly enact' a bill for the pipeline.
Allen gave Stevens $25,000 in finacial benefits and the former executive director of Cheney's energy task force went to work for BP as a lobbyist which was one of the firms designated to work on the pipeline."
Stevens said to Allen 'I'm gonna try to see if I can get some bigwigs from back here and say, 'Look … you gotta get this done.' Cheney wrote a letter two days later to the Alaska legislature recommending they 'promptly enact' a bill for the pipeline.
Allen gave Stevens $25,000 in finacial benefits and the former executive director of Cheney's energy task force went to work for BP as a lobbyist which was one of the firms designated to work on the pipeline."
FBI investigates Oakland City Hall for corruption - San Jose Mercury News
Read More Here: "OAKLAND, Calif.—Oakland city officials say they are ready to cooperate with federal authorities investigating allegations of corruption at City Hall.
The FBI has requested city documents as part of its probe of alleged nepotism and fraud under former City Administrator Deborah Edgerly.
Mayor Ron Dellums fired Edgerly in July amid a police probe into whether she had interfered with an investigation into a violent street gang.
City officials say the federal investigation seems to be expanding into questionable payroll practices, including $3 million in bonuses and other perks awarded with little oversight.
Court documents show that authorities are also scrutinizing personnel records for Edgerly and her son and daughter—all of whom were city employees."
The FBI has requested city documents as part of its probe of alleged nepotism and fraud under former City Administrator Deborah Edgerly.
Mayor Ron Dellums fired Edgerly in July amid a police probe into whether she had interfered with an investigation into a violent street gang.
City officials say the federal investigation seems to be expanding into questionable payroll practices, including $3 million in bonuses and other perks awarded with little oversight.
Court documents show that authorities are also scrutinizing personnel records for Edgerly and her son and daughter—all of whom were city employees."
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Corruption trial could harm US senator's campaign
Read More Here:"Washington: A senior Republican senator cannot move his corruption trial from Washington to his home state of Alaska, a federal judge has ruled in a decision that could hamstring the powerful lawmaker s re-election bid.
The patriarch of Alaska politics, Stevens could normally expect to coast to his seventh full term in the Senate. But Democrats want to capitalise on the lengthy FBI investigation and trial to capture the once-safe Republican seat.
Stevens, 84,had hoped to stand trial by day and campaign on nights and weekends. In a state where he is known as 'Uncle Ted,' he could have faced a more sympathetic jury. Stevens was named the Alaskan of the Century in 2000,the Anchorage airport bears his name, and he has brought billions in federal aid to the frontier state."
The patriarch of Alaska politics, Stevens could normally expect to coast to his seventh full term in the Senate. But Democrats want to capitalise on the lengthy FBI investigation and trial to capture the once-safe Republican seat.
Stevens, 84,had hoped to stand trial by day and campaign on nights and weekends. In a state where he is known as 'Uncle Ted,' he could have faced a more sympathetic jury. Stevens was named the Alaskan of the Century in 2000,the Anchorage airport bears his name, and he has brought billions in federal aid to the frontier state."
Sen. Ted Stevens' request to move corruption trial to Alaska is denied - Los Angeles Times
Read More Here:"WASHINGTON -- A federal judge Wednesday denied Sen. Ted Stevens' request to move his corruption trial to his home state of Alaska, saying the lawmaker's plans to campaign for reelection risked improperly influencing potential jurors if the case were to be transferred there.
Lawyers for Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, sought the change because most of the 40 or so witnesses expected to testify are from Alaska. They said Stevens had a right to continue his reelection campaign, which would be easier if the trial was held in Alaska.
But U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said he was persuaded by the Justice Department's concerns that the publicity surrounding a senator who was running for reelection while on trial 'could lead to a significant potential for jury tainting.'"
Lawyers for Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, sought the change because most of the 40 or so witnesses expected to testify are from Alaska. They said Stevens had a right to continue his reelection campaign, which would be easier if the trial was held in Alaska.
But U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said he was persuaded by the Justice Department's concerns that the publicity surrounding a senator who was running for reelection while on trial 'could lead to a significant potential for jury tainting.'"
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
State Rep. Terri Hodge maintains combative persona as she fights corruption charges | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News
Read More Here: "State Rep. Terri Hodge, the only sitting elected official indicted in the federal government's sprawling public corruption case, has asked the court to try her separately from other defendants.
If she succeeds, that could move Ms. Hodge's trial on bribery and fraud charges, now scheduled to begin in January, to after the next session of the Texas Legislature, which also convenes in January.
Federal prosecutors say they will not oppose Ms. Hodge's request to U.S. Judge Barbara Lynn because they don't want the constituents in her Dallas district going without representation during the legislative session."
If she succeeds, that could move Ms. Hodge's trial on bribery and fraud charges, now scheduled to begin in January, to after the next session of the Texas Legislature, which also convenes in January.
Federal prosecutors say they will not oppose Ms. Hodge's request to U.S. Judge Barbara Lynn because they don't want the constituents in her Dallas district going without representation during the legislative session."
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Mayor's father is target of FBI probe | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Read More Here: "The FBI is investigating whether Bernard Kilpatrick, the father of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, was involved in payoff schemes to steer city business to contractors, according to five lawyers familiar with the investigation.
Advertisement
The sources said agents are trying to determine whether Bernard Kilpatrick illegally passed along any money to the mayor. The sources agreed to discuss the investigation only if they were not identified.
'It's a pure pay-to-play system,' one lawyer alleged of the process to obtain many contracts in Detroit.
Bernard Kilpatrick did not return calls Friday. His attorney, Abe Singer, left a voice mail for a reporter that said: 'I'd check my sources a little stronger than you have before you publish this story.' He could not be reached to elaborate."
Advertisement
The sources said agents are trying to determine whether Bernard Kilpatrick illegally passed along any money to the mayor. The sources agreed to discuss the investigation only if they were not identified.
'It's a pure pay-to-play system,' one lawyer alleged of the process to obtain many contracts in Detroit.
Bernard Kilpatrick did not return calls Friday. His attorney, Abe Singer, left a voice mail for a reporter that said: 'I'd check my sources a little stronger than you have before you publish this story.' He could not be reached to elaborate."
Ex-Passaic mayor sentenced to 21 months in prison -- Newsday.com
Read More Here: "TRENTON, N.J. - Former Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera was sentenced Friday to nearly two years in prison and a $4,000 fine for accepting cash bribes in exchange for influencing city contracts.
Rivera, who was caught in a corruption scheme that netted 11 public officials and a private citizen, resigned last year after pleading guilty to attempted extortion.
Rivera, 61, admitted taking $5,000 in exchange for using his official influence to help a company become the city's insurance broker. The company turned out to be an FBI front.
The only explanation Rivera offered on Friday for his role in the scheme was 'poor judgment.'"
Rivera, who was caught in a corruption scheme that netted 11 public officials and a private citizen, resigned last year after pleading guilty to attempted extortion.
Rivera, 61, admitted taking $5,000 in exchange for using his official influence to help a company become the city's insurance broker. The company turned out to be an FBI front.
The only explanation Rivera offered on Friday for his role in the scheme was 'poor judgment.'"
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Charges recommended in RailCorp probe - Breaking News - National - Breaking News
Read More Here: "The NSW corruption watchdog has asked for criminal charges to be considered against six people who collectively scammed millions of US dollars from RailCorp, potentially endangering lives in the process.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Wednesday handed down two reports from its lengthy inquiry into bribery and fraud within the state-owned corporation.
Its investigation 'raised a significant number of corruption issues' across all areas of its inquiry, all of which have been highlighted by the ICAC in several previous investigations.
The ICAC said that instead of making recommendations for the organisation now, it will instead canvas all the corruption issues in the final report due out later this year.
The ICAC on Wednesday made corruption findings against former RailCorp e"
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Wednesday handed down two reports from its lengthy inquiry into bribery and fraud within the state-owned corporation.
Its investigation 'raised a significant number of corruption issues' across all areas of its inquiry, all of which have been highlighted by the ICAC in several previous investigations.
The ICAC said that instead of making recommendations for the organisation now, it will instead canvas all the corruption issues in the final report due out later this year.
The ICAC on Wednesday made corruption findings against former RailCorp e"
Former Thai PM skips bail to avoid corruption case
Read More Here: "Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra skipped bail Monday and went into exile, accusing political enemies who removed him in a 2006 coup of meddling in the courts to 'finish off' him and his family.
The Supreme Court issued arrest warrants for Thaksin and his wife, Potjaman, and seized $385,000 in bail bonds after he failed to appear in a corruption case.
In a hand-written statement faxed to news outlets from his refuge in London, the 59-year-old telecommunications billionaire apologized to the court for failing to appear in the case, which also involves his wife."
The Supreme Court issued arrest warrants for Thaksin and his wife, Potjaman, and seized $385,000 in bail bonds after he failed to appear in a corruption case.
In a hand-written statement faxed to news outlets from his refuge in London, the 59-year-old telecommunications billionaire apologized to the court for failing to appear in the case, which also involves his wife."
Former Alaska Businessman Pleads Guilty to Public Corruption Charges - MarketWatch
Read More Here: "WASHINGTON, Aug 12, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- William Weimar, 68, a former owner of an Alaska-based company, has pleaded guilty to making $20,000 in illegal payments to cover consulting and advertising expenses incurred by a candidate running for an elected position in the Alaska state legislature, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division announced today. Weimar also admitted that he manipulated and structured the illegal payments to avoid currency reporting requirements for financial institutions under federal law."
Bloomberg.com: Latin America
Read More Here: "Aug. 12 (Bloomberg) -- The killing of four local law enforcement chiefs in Mexico yesterday highlights the challenge President Felipe Calderon faces as he tries to stamp out police corruption and bolster his fight against organized crime."
More than 270 Mexican police officers have been killed this year, including the assassinations in Michoacan, Chihuahua, Quintana Roo and the State of Mexico yesterday, newspaper Milenio reported. Most of the violence is tied to drug gangs that are battling for control of lucrative shipping routes to the U.S.
Calderon pledged to root out police corruption during appearances over the past week after public outrage over the kidnapping and slaying of the 14-year-old son of a businessman, allegedly at the hands of police. Ending police involvement with organized crime is difficult because of low salaries and threats to the lives of honest cops, said Jorge Chabat, a professor at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching in Mexico City.
``It's hard to fight narco corruption because police have positive incentives -- money -- and also negative incentives - they'll kill you if you don't go along,'' Chabat said.
Yesterday, Calderon said Mexican society demands an end to police corruption while interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino called on local authorities to sign an accord to clean up police forces.
``They're not going to create a police force like Scotland Yard,'' Chabat said, referring to the headquarters of the British police force in London. ``But they can make it a lot better than it is now.''
Marti Kidnapping
Last week, Calderon proposed life sentences for policemen convicted of kidnapping after prosecutors said officers were involved in the abduction and killing of Fernando Marti, the son of Alejandro Marti, founder of sporting goods retailer Grupo Marti SAB.
Marti's body was discovered in the trunk of a car in southern Mexico City on Aug. 1, almost two months after the boy, his driver and bodyguard were stopped at a fake police checkpoint. The boy's family paid a ransom to the kidnappers before he was found dead.
Calderon's proposal is symbolic and won't reduce crime, said John Bailey, who directs Georgetown University's Mexico project.
``It's kind of hollow,'' Bailey said in a telephone interview from Washington. ``When you can't do something concrete, you turn to symbols.''
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)