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CORRUPTION NEWS

$1-trillion-plus estimated to have left Africa illegally

by Khayalethu Hamana Over the past 50 years, Africa is estimated to have lost more than $1-trillion in illicit financial flows, but this may well fall short of reality, because accurate data does not exist for many countries. The estimates often exclude illicit flows, such as the proceeds of bribery and the trafficking of drugs, Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Economic crime in SA outstrips global average

Two years ago PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) revealed in their 2014 Global Economic Crime Survey that 69% of respondents indicating they had experienced some form of economic crime in the 24 months preceding the survey. In the latest edition of the professional services firm’s biennial survey, released on Tuesday, that trend has remained exactly the same. Two-thirds Read more >

PUBLICATIONS

SA falls short of measures to curb corrupt financial flows

In its report released to coincide with the upcoming G20 meeting in Turkey, Transparency International (TI) has highlighted how G20 countries, including South Africa, have failed to honour their undertaking to fight corruption through implementing more transparent business practices that would make it difficult for the corrupt to hide or move money across borders. This Read more >

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

G20 drops ball on beneficial ownership

The G20 has not delivered on promises to tackle issues of beneficial ownership – this is revealed in a report released on Thursday by Transparency International. In November 2014 the G20 countries – of which South Africa is one – met in Brisbane. Among the topics up for discussion was the question of beneficial ownership. Read more >

CAMPAIGNS

Anyone can help to unmask the corrupt

Global anti-corruption organisation Transparency International’s (TI) two-year campaign titled Unmask the Corrupt was launched in September 2014. The campaign seeks to root out a specific form of corruption in government, business and civil society – that of transferring stolen assets across international borders by using shell companies, companies with opaque ownership structures, and money laundering. Read more >

NEWS

Global corruption snapshots: 10 September 2015

Bucharest mayor taken into custody in corruption probe The mayor of Romania’s capital Bucharest was taken into custody on Saturday night on suspicion of taking kickbacks on municipal tenders, anti-corruption officials said. Mayor Sorin Oprescu is accused of being among a group of officials that demanded a share in the profits made by companies that Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

How corruption drives illicit financial flows

By Khalil Goga At the recent Pan-African Parliament session in South Africa, former South African president Thabo Mbeki presented the African Union high-level report on illicit financial flows (IFFs). The parliament accepted the report and its recommendations, showing an increased urgency in limiting IFFs on the continent. The Mbeki report refers to IFFs as funds Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Africa’s bleeding stops here!

Africa has been bleeding for decades, losing trillions of dollars to tax dodgers through illicit financial flows. This phenomenon, a common practice by multinational corporations, is also known as “illicit financial flight”. This is money that could have gone towards development interests for millions of Africans. To help remedy the state of affairs, a new Read more >

LEGISLATION AND SUBMISSIONS

CW weighs in on draft FIC amendment bill

Corruption Watch has made submissions on the draft Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) amendment bill. The treasury published the bill on 21 April, and invited public comment until 31 May. The bill was approved by Cabinet on 15 April. “We are generally impressed by the commitment by the National Treasury and FIC to deal with the Read more >