Displaying items by tag: bribery

Since gaining independence in 1991, Ukraine has struggled with endemic corruption, a battle seen as crucial for its war against Russia. Transparency International now ranks it 104th out of 180 countries, its highest position since 2006. Recent developments have been the arrests of supreme court head Vsevolod Knyazev, agriculture minister Mykola Solsky, and SBU officer Artem Shylo, though all deny wrongdoing and are out on bail. A pivotal development was the 2015 launch of Prozorro, a digital platform which reduced corruption in government procurement, saving nearly $6 billion in four years. With substantial Western aid flowing in, ensuring proper control is critical. Corruption has not only drained resources but also hindered foreign aid and military recruitment (many Ukrainians have bribed their way out of the country to avoid conscription). Last year, Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed regional conscription officials amid bribery scandals.

A deputy defence minister, Timur Ivanov, has been detained in Moscow, accused of accepting large-scale bribes. Ivanov, who denies the charges, has been overseeing military infrastructure projects since his appointment in 2016. There have been few such high-profile cases since the invasion of Ukraine. Ivanov, an ally of defence minister Sergei Shoigu, faces serious charges. Reports link him to profiting from construction schemes in occupied Ukrainian territories, particularly in Mariupol. A court has remanded him and a friend, Sergei Borodin, for two months. His detention signifies a significant move against Russia's elite, who are often accused of using their positions to amass vast fortunes. It may also impact Shoigu's standing, as Ivanov (described by the USA and UK as ‘tenth in the overall hierarchy of the Russian military leadership’) is seen as his close associate.

Thirty conscription officials in Ukraine have been accused of taking cash and cryptocurrency bribes to smuggle people out of the country. All men over the age of 18 capable of fighting are eligible to be conscripted, and most adult men under the age of 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. Mr Zelensky posted a video on social media saying, ‘Conscription officials who took bribes and smuggled people out of the country have been sacked in an anti-corruption purge. Bribery at a time of war is high treason’. The president's office said that the corruption allegations pose a threat to Ukraine's national security and undermine confidence in state institutions. Replacement officials will be chosen from candidates with battlefield experience and vetted by the intelligence service.

Since 2014 Russia has secretly funnelled $300 million to foreign political parties and candidates in at least 24 countries in Europe, Africa ,and elsewhere to shape political events beyond its borders. Putin wants to weaken democratic systems and promote global political forces aligned with Kremlin interests. A senior US official, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence findings, said the administration decided to declassify some of the review’s findings to counter Russia’s ability to sway political systems. ‘By shining this light on Russian covert political financing and attempts to undermine democratic processes, we are putting these foreign parties and candidates on notice that if they accept Russian money secretly, we can and we will expose it’, the official said. Countries identified included Albania, Montenegro, Madagascar, and Ecuador. An unnamed Asian presidential candidate received millions in cash. Russia also used shell companies, thinktanks and other means to influence political events, sometimes to the benefit of far-right groups.

George Floyd’s death sparked protests against racial inequality and police abuse around the world. Black Americans are three times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans. Transparency International reports that police abuse takes many shapes and forms, and is not unique to the US. In the first two weeks of lockdown in Nigeria extrajudicial killings enforcing the regulations claimed more lives than the virus itself. Across Africa, people think the police are the most corrupt group in their country, 47% of Africans believe that most or all police are corrupt, with 28% having paid a bribe to a police officer in the previous year. Pray for improved tools for citizens to report abuses by law enforcement officers. The police also earned the highest bribery rates in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa. Innocent people should never have to fear for their life or their livelihood when they encounter a police officer. See