Europe

Mafia is now "Italy's No.1 bank": report

Topics: 
Organized crime, Financial industry, Europe, Legal ethics
Rating: 
2

James Mackenzie – January 10, 2012

Organized crime has tightened its grip on the Italian economy during the economic crisis, making the Mafia the country's biggest "bank" and squeezing the life out of thousands of small firms, according to a report on Tuesday.

Extortionate lending by criminal groups had become a "national emergency," said the report by anti-crime group SOS Impresa.Organized crime now generated annual turnover of about 140 billion euros ($178.89 billion) and profits of more than 100 billion euros, it added.

French ex-President Jacques Chirac guilty of corruption

Topics: 
Corruption, Europe, Political misconduct
Rating: 
2
Jacques Chirac

BBC News – December 15, 2011

A French court has given former President Jacques Chirac a two-year suspended prison sentence for diverting public funds and abusing public trust. Mr Chirac, 79, was not in court to hear the verdict because of ill-health but denied wrongdoing.

President from 1995 to 2007, he was put on trial on charges that dated back to his time as mayor of Paris. He was accused of paying members of his Rally for the Republic (RPR) party for municipal jobs that did not exist.

Italian Mobsters Get 1,000 Years Jail Time

Topics: 
Organized crime, Policing, Europe
Rating: 
2

November 22, 2011

A judge Saturday sentenced 110 members of the Italian mafia group ‘Ndrangheta to a total 1,000 years of jail time at the culmination of a yearlong trial before a Milan court.

Defendants jeered and booed both the judge and their attorneys as the sentences were handed down against members of the Calabria criminal group that has made inroads into northern Italy through drug trafficking and other criminal activity.

A Czech first: two judges charged with corruption

Topics: 
Corruption, Europe, Judiciary, Anti-corruption efforts, Eastern Europe
Rating: 
2

István Léko – October 31, 2011

For the first time in modern Czech history judges have been arrested on suspicion of corrupt practices. Two judges from the Litoměřice District Court were charged with accepting bribes and abuse of powers may face 8-year prison sentences.

“On Thursday, October 27, the department for serious economic crimes of the anti-corruption and financial crimes unit launched criminal proceedings against two judges from the Litoměřice District Court and an administrative official from the same court,” deputy chief state prosecutor for the Ústí nad Labem region, Lenka Bradáčová, told Czech Position.

Wall Street Journal scam claims senior Murdoch executive

Topics: 
USA, Corruption, Europe, Media
Rating: 
0

Andrew Langhoff resigns as European publishing chief after exposure of secret channels of cash to help boost sales figures

Nick Davies – October 12, 2011

One of Rupert Murdoch's most senior European executives has resigned following Guardian inquiries about a circulation scam at News Corporation's flagship newspaper, the Wall Street Journal.

The Guardian found evidence that the Journal had been channelling money through European companies in order to secretly buy thousands of copies of its own paper at a knock-down rate, misleading readers and advertisers about the Journal's true circulation.

Austria Says 2 Russians Purchased Citizenship

Topics: 
Corruption, Russia, Europe, Immigration
Rating: 
0

Nikolaus von Twickel – August 10, 2011

Austria is putting two Russian-born businessmen on trial on accusations that they paid the country's flamboyant right-wing politician Jörg Haider more than $1 million in bribes to obtain citizenship, prosecutors said Tuesday.

"The case against two former Russian citizens accused of bribery and two other individuals will begin this fall," Eva Habicher, a spokeswoman for the prosecution, said by telephone.

Whistleblower protection added to Irish Criminal Law

Topics: 
Legislation, Europe
Rating: 
0

July 5, 2011

Justice Minister Alan Shatter today obtained Government approval to provide for Whistleblower protection in the Criminal Justice Bill 2011.

The Criminal Justice Bill 2011, currently before the Dáil, will provide new procedures and powers to the Garda Síochána to speed up both current and future investigations into complex white collar crime. The Minister intends that the Bill will be enacted before the summer recess.

Finland’s former foreign minister charged with bribery

Topics: 
Corruption, Europe
Rating: 
2

June 10, 2011

Prosecutor calls for two-year sentence for former Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva on bribery charges.

A preliminary session to discuss charges of aggravated bribe-taking against Member of Parliament and former Minister for Foreign Affairs Ilkka Kanerva (National Coalition Party) was held at the Helsinki District Court today - Thursday.

In Romania, bribery is a health problem

Topics: 
Corruption, Health care, Europe, World Bank, Eastern Europe
Rating: 
2

Dan Bilefsky – November 3, 2009

BUCHAREST — Alina Lungu, 30, says she did everything necessary to ensure a healthy pregnancy in Romania: She ate organic food, swam daily and bribed her gynecologist with an extra €200 in cash, paid in monthly increments of €25 handed over discreetly in white envelopes.

Another bribe of €25, or about $32, went to a nurse to guarantee an epidural. Even the orderly reaped an extra €10 to make sure he didn't drop her from the stretcher. But on the day of her delivery, she says, her gynecologist never arrived.

Saudis mount cleanup amid defense scandal

Topics: 
Corruption, Europe, Arab spring
Rating: 
0

UPI – June 10, 2011

As Britain's Serious Fraud Office investigates allegations that top European defense group EADS bribed Saudi Arabian officials to win a $3.3 billion contract, the Saudis are mounting an anti-corruption campaign that could affect Western companies.

King Abdallah, who has long sought to crack down on high-level official corruption in the kingdom's elite, discreetly initiated the campaign in March, Intelligence Online web site said.

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