Image source: Transparency International
Thursday, 09/07/2015 – 12:30
Ex-state senator pleads guilty to racketeering in California
An ex-California state senator pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a racketeering charge in an organised crime and public corruption case centred in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Leland Yee could face a maximum of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in October after entering the plea to one count of conspiracy to engage in racketeering as part of campaign committees formed when he ran for San Francisco mayor and California secretary of state. – Associated Press
ActionAid Unveils Report on Corruption, Poverty in Nigeria
ActionAid Nigeria, an anti-poverty organisation, has unveiled a detailed report highlighting the impact of corruption on poverty in Nigeria and identifying linkages between both factors. At a well-attended national dialogue held on Tuesday in Abuja, the report, preceded by a presentation, was released to all stakeholders, and it showcased the level of corruption in the country among various government organs and private sector, with a corresponding impact on the level of poverty among the citizens. – ThisDay Live
Hondurans rally against president involved in corruption scandal
More than 60 000 Hondurans protested in the latest march against corruption. The people are asking the president to resign after it was revealed that the president probably benefited from the $200-million stolen from the nation’s social security institute. – AJ+
Tanzania jails former finance and mining ministers for corruption
A Tanzanian court sentenced two former ministers to three years in jail on Monday over corruption charges related to the award of a gold audit tender, according to court documents. The convictions of former finance minister Basil Mramba and former energy and minerals minister Daniel Yona represent two of the most high-profile convictions in the government’s anti-graft drive. Lawyers said the ex-ministers would appeal. – Rand Daily Mail
In Rio Grande Valley, some campaign workers are paid to harvest votes
A new FBI anti-corruption task force is trying to clean up the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. According to the Justice Department, in 2013, more public officials were convicted for corruption in South Texas than in any other region of the country. One of the practices the task force is looking at is vote-stealing. – npr.org
Kenyan cabinet secretary denies corruption claims
The embattled Devolution and national planning cabinet secretary Anne Waiguru has ruled out stepping aside over the National Youth Service scandal. – AllAfrica.com
Vyapam corruption case mystifies India
It is not easy for a corruption case to mystify Indians, but this one, in which politicians and officials in Madhya Pradesh are accused of taking bribes in return for helping candidates get high scores, is extraordinary. – The New York Times
Silvio Berlusconi sentenced to three years in corruption case
A court in Naples on Wednesday sentenced former Italian premier and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi to three years in prison for bribing a senator as part of a plot to destabilise a 2006-08 centre-left government. – Global Post
How corruption drives illicit financial flows
At the recent Pan African Parliament (PAP) session in South Africa, former South African president Thabo Mbeki presented the African Union (AU) high-level report on illicit financial flows (IFFs). The PAP accepted the report and its recommendations, showing an increased urgency in limiting IFFs on the continent. – ISS Africa
