Corruption

Victory for the UN’s leading whistleblower

Topics: 
Whistleblowers, Corruption, United Nations, Victories
Rating: 
3
James Wasserstrom

The Economist – June 30, 2012

In theory the United Nations cherishes and protects whistleblowers. In practice, a clubby atmosphere prevails in which dissent counts as disloyalty. Now the UN’s highest tribunal has vindicated a victim of official harrassment.

James Wasserstrom (pictured), was posted to Kosovo to fight corruption. In 2007 he started raising concerns about what he saw as misconduct involving links between UN officials and a local utility company. His worries were ignored. After he complained to the UN’s oversight office, he says, his boss cut his staff, in effect abolishing his job, and had him investigated for misconduct. That culminated in his detention, the search of his house and car, and other indignities.

A climate of fear and tribal bonding among traders

Topics: 
Corruption, Financial industry, UK
Rating: 
3

Emails published by the Financial Services Authority show traders change jobs rather than alert bosses to a problem

Joris Luyendijk – June 28, 2012

As Barclays' Libor scandal deepens by the hour, one thing is clear: lots of people inside the bank knew about this. Why didn't they raise the alarm?In dozens of interviews over the past nine months with people working in finance, this question has come up time and again: why does finance, in spite of considerable investments in internal policing, fail to self-correct? The short answer is greed, but there is more.

Going over the interviews, all of which can be read online, it is clear that at least some people in finance are not primarily driven by money. But they are afraid, powerless, or both. Indeed, if you had to design a working environment that encouraged short-termist conformism and discouraged whistle blowing, then the finance sector would be your blueprint.

World Bank cancels $1.2 billion Bangladesh loan

Topics: 
Corruption, Asia, Construction industry, Developing countries
Rating: 
3

Julhas Alam – June 30, 2012

The World Bank has canceled a $1.2 billion loan for construction of a bridge in Bangladesh, saying it has credible evidence of corruption involving a Canadian engineering company.

The global lending agency said it did not receive a satisfactory response from the Bangladesh government after it raised the issue of corruption last year.

Bombardier denies report of bribery in South African contract

Topics: 
Corruption, Africa
Rating: 
3

The Canadian Press – June 1, 2012

Bombardier Transportation confirmed that it paid a Tunisian businessman to act as an intermediary as it worked to secure a contract in South Africa, a process it says is common place in unfamiliar countries, but denies reports of wrongdoing.

The Montreal-based company has been accused by South African newspaper The Mail and Guardian of involvement in a bribery scheme involving $35 million paid to Youssef Zarrouk, a "Tunisian fixer," which the paper said was "evidence suggestive of bribery in the R$26-billion Gautrain contract."

Corruption blamed for AIDS non-treatment in Ukraine

Topics: 
Corruption, Pharmaceutical industry, Health care, Public health & safety, Eastern Europe
Rating: 
2

Maria Danilova – June 29, 2012

Two years ago, Hryhoriy, a retired police officer from a provincial Ukrainian town, nearly died of AIDS. Yet the ghostly, emaciated father of two considers himself lucky because he eventually got treated at a Kyiv clinic and is now slowly recovering.

Unlike the 53-year-old Hryhoriy, tens of thousands of fellow Ukrainians infected with HIV are not getting any treatment at all because the state says it doesn’t have enough money.

UK politicians accuse banking system of corruption

Topics: 
Corruption, Financial industry, UK
Rating: 
0

Meera Selva – June 30, 2012

British politicians harshly criticized the country's banking system Saturday after Barclays was fined for manipulating data, with the leader of the opposition calling for an inquiry and government ministers joining the attack.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said the once-lauded banking sector has fallen into disrepute, claiming that over the last 20 years the word "banker" has gone from a compliment "to a gross insult."

UN tribunal finds ethics office failed to protect whistleblower

Topics: 
Corruption, United Nations, Victories, Watchdogs
Rating: 
0
Ban Ki-moon

Julian Borger – June 27, 2012

A landmark case brought by a former United Nations employee against the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has cast light on what activists describe as a pervasive culture of impunity in an organisation where whistleblowers are given minimal protection from reprisals.

James Wasserstrom, a veteran American diplomat, was sacked and then detained by UN police, who ransacked his flat, searched his car and put his picture on a wanted poster after he raised suspicions in 2007 about corruption in the senior ranks of the UN mission in Kosovo (Unmik).

Panel says UN failed to protect whistleblower

Topics: 
Corruption, Videos, United Nations, Victories
Rating: 
0

Kristen Saloomey, Al Jazeera– June 23, 2012

A tribunal has found the UN liable for failing to protect a former high-ranking official, after he reported his superiors for possible corruption.

The UN Dispute Tribunal has sided with James Wasserstrom, who was forced out and subjected to a smear campaign.The tribunal’s hearings are open and its decisions are binding on the UN senior officials, including Ban Ki-Moon.

2 former SNC-Lavalin employees charged with corruption

Topics: 
Corruption, Construction industry, Foreign corrupt practices legislation
Rating: 
0

The Canadian Press – June 22, 2012

Two former SNC-Lavalin employees are scheduled to appear in a Toronto court Monday to face charges under the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act in relation to a bridge project in Bangladesh.

Ramesh Shah, 61, of Oakville and Mohammad Ismail, 48, of Mississauga were arrested Feb. 20 and formally charged in April, RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Lucy Shorey confirmed Friday.

Seven entrepreneurs behind 140 Quebec companies

Topics: 
Corruption, Construction industry, Quebec
Rating: 
4
Antony Accurso

Pierre-André Normandin – June 20, 2012

Seven entrepreneurs are behind no less than 140 construction companies, according to the work of the Anti-Collusion Unit (UAC). Tony Accurso alone owns more than sixty of these. A series of documents filed with the Charbonneau Commission unveiled today the extent of the connections of the businessman, who is accused of fraud.

On Monday the former director of the UAC, Jacques Duchesneau, filed several diagrams of businesses. These had been submitted under seal since investigations of the companies were in progress. A coalition of media firms successfully requested that these be made public, which took place this afternoon.

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