Petrobras CEO steps down amid corruption scandal
Embattled Brazilian oil company Petrobras said on Wednesday the company's chief executive officer and five other top figures stepped down amid a long-running and massive kickback scandal at the firm. Government-run Petrobras said in a one-line statement on its website that CEO Maria das Gracas Foster and five other executive directors were out. None of the top officials are facing charges of wrongdoing, but prosecutors have said the investigation is still in its early stages. – Yahoo News
Panama to launch corruption inquiry into former president
Panama’s supreme court has voted to launch a corruption investigation against former president Ricardo Martinelli, a move likely to rally popular support in a nation where the political elite rarely face justice for misdeeds. A statement from the court said all nine judges voted to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Martinelli over allegations that he inflated contracts worth $45-million to purchase dehydrated food for a government social programme.-The Guardian
Mexico president vows probe of his home purchases, contractor deals
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Tuesday ordered an investigation of home purchases by himself, his wife and his finance minister from government contractors but he fell short of demands for an independent probe into possible corruption. – Global Post
Corruption probe in Brazil leads to freezing of Alstom's assets
A Brazilian court has ordered the freezing of more than $104-million in assets of French energy and transportation company Alstom as part of a corruption probe, a prosecutor said Tuesday. The court order was issued Monday in response to a corruption case of "extreme gravity" in 1998, Sao Paulo prosecutor Jose Carlos Blat said – Industry Week
Italy's new president decries corruption, loss of hope
Italy's new president assumed office on Tuesday with a ringing call to the nation to root out organised crime and corruption devouring public resources and solve a protracted economic crisis depriving young people of their future. Sergio Mattarella, whose elder brother, Piersanti Mattarella, was slain while governor of Sicily by the Mafia in 1980, denounced the "alarming" spread of the Mafia from its southern base to northern cities – ABC News
Japan sack coach Javier Aguirre due to ongoing match-fixing investigation
Japan’s FA have terminated the contract of the coach Javier Aguirre due to the Mexican’s involvement in an ongoing match-fixing investigation. Aguirre has denied any wrongdoing after being named in a Spanish anti-corruption investigation, and the JFA had stood by him during last month’s Asian Cup.But in a news conference broadcast live on Japanese television, the JFA head Kuniya Daini said it had decided to part ways with the Mexican, fearing any court case could be a distraction during Japan’s campaign to qualify for the next World Cup – The Guardian
Unemployment and corruption: Spaniards list their worries
People in Spain are increasingly worried about unemployment, says a new report. In January, losing work jumped four points on the scale of concerns measured by the Sociology Investigation Centre barometer, made public on Wednesday. The survey found 74.4% of Spanish citizens said they were anxious about unemployment, significantly more than any other issue – Euro Weekly News
