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Including:
Asia & Pacific: Four military officers indicted for bribery
Europe: Deal to scrap army tanks leads to bribery trial
Americas: US politicians face inquiry into arms deals
Middle East: OECD: Israel must step up fight against international bribery
Africa: Congo army helps rebels get arms, UN finds
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Sung-Goo Kang
Representative Ombudsman at Defence Programme Administration, Korea
March 2009
Sung-Goo Kang is the Representative Ombudsman at the Defence Acquistion Programme Administration (DAPA) in Korea, and Secretary-General of Transparency International Korea. In his role at DAPA, Sung-Goo Kang performs a valuable oversight function in Korean defence acquisitions.
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Ambassador Birgitta Nygren
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden
November 2008
Ambassador Nygren is anti-corruption coordinator for the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Sweden and sits on the OECD Working Group on Bribery
in International Business Transactions. Ambassador Nygren is a member
of the Transparency International UK defence against corruption
programme strategy group.
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Read more...
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Including:
Interview: Ambassador Birgitta Nygren
Asia-Pacific: Japan court jails ex-top defence official over bribes
Europe: OECD report attacks British failure to tackle corporate bribery and corruption
Americas: Pentagon Spending Growth Outpaces Auditors
Middle East: We are losing Taliban battle
Africa: Ringera seeks new powers to fight corruption
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John Drysdale, chair of Transparency International UK
It gives me great pleasure to launch the ‘Quarterly’ newsletter of Transparency International UK’s ‘Defence Against Corruption’ (DAC) programme. Since its inception in 2004, the programme has dispelled the myth that tackling defence corruption is beyond the realm of the possible, and through its work in coalition with reformist stakeholders from the defence sector – industry, government, multilaterals organisations, civil society and media – is making a significant and ever-expanding impact.
The programme engages the defence industry with the objective of initiating development of a rigorous global anti-corruption code to strengthen the defence contracting process against corruption; indeed an important first step has already been made in this regard in the creation of the European ‘Common Industry Standards’. The programme also works with governments to provide expert advice on strengthening defence institutions against corruption and on an enhanced oversight of defence procurement. The programme works with multilaterals to develop tools and training courses for implementation around the world, as well as with other key stakeholders including civil society and the media.
We hope the 'Quarterly' will help to raise awareness of this work, stimulate debate and catalyse further action. Please do send in letters, comments and ideas to the DAC programme – we thrive on feedback – a selection of which will be published. I look forward to watching the ‘Quarterly’ go from strength to strength. I am sure you will join me in wishing the team every success in this important work.
Current Activities
Multilaterals
Workshop
With Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) and DCAF (Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces), DAC organised a workshop on the topic of how multilateral bodies can promote and support integrity building in defence institutions in Geneva. For more, see the publications section below.
NATO
The DAC programme is extensively engaged with NATO in the building integrity in defence establishments programme, with its focus on development of anti-corruption mechanisms for use in Partner Nations, with the expertise thereby developed being transferable to other regions and contexts.
One element of the programme is the development of the Self-Assessment tool for defence ministries, to assess the vulnerability of the institution to corruption. It was trialled in Bosnia this July, with the subsequent Expert Team Visit including a representative from DAC. The tool has also more recently been trialled in Ukraine and Norway.
Another element of the programme is the 5 day training module in building integrity in defence establishments for defence practitioners. It was trialled twice in the past quarter, first at the Defence Academy of the UK in July, and then at the Oberammergau NATO Training School in September. Both trials were regarded as overwhelming successes by staff and participants. The final trial will be held in December at the Peace Support Operations Training Centre in Sarajevo, Bosnia, before the module is rolled-out in full next year. DAC has been an integral part of the team which developed the module and taught several of the sessions during the pilots.
OECD
In response to the harsh criticism of the OECD relating to the UK's track record of implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention (in its phase 2 bis report on the UK) Transparency International UK issued a press release deploring the UK's poor anti-bribery record and calling for swift corrective action. The press release was picked up by broadsheets including the Daily Telegraph.
Civil SocietyBulgaria
DAC presented at the defence anti-corruption conference organised by the Euro-Atlantic Education Initiative in Sofia in October, hosting break-out sessions on defence anti-corruption and integrity-building. The Euro-Atlantic Education Initiative (EAEI) is a non-governmental, non-profit and non-political organisation, which works to design educational programs, NGO forums, open discussions and seminars on Euro-Atlantic integration processes, regional perspectives and security. The EAEI's project on 'transparency in decision-making process in the Ministry of Defence of Bulgaria' is funded by the German Marshall Fund. Following the conference, the EAEI will develop and publish a manual - freely accessible, and to be translated into English - for all stakeholders on 'transparency in decision-making process in the Ministry of Defence of Bulgaria'. Papers will be posted on EAEI webpages.
United Kingdom Government
DAC is seeking to engage with UK Trade and Investment, the successor to DESO (Defence Export Services Organisation), to make the case for the development of a strong anti-corruption code to guide defence sales.
In its press release (November 2008), Transparency International UK welcomed the Law Commission's proposals for a new anti-corruption law. John Drysdale, chair of Transparency International UK stated "the Government must now adopt these proposals in full and enact a new corruption Bill in the fourth session of Parliament. There is no room for further dithering. If the UK is to restore its international reputation the Government must act swiftly". This follows the special review of the UK’s record in fighting foreign bribery by the OECD Working Group on Bribery. The review was provoked by years of inaction by the UK authorities; but partner States were particularly incensed by the decision to terminate the Serious Fraud Office's investigation of allegations of bribery involving BAE Systems and the UK-Saudi Al Yamamah arms deal. Transparency International UK's press release (October 2008) welcoming the OECD review can be viewed here.
Industry
BAE Systems has outlined its implementation plan for the recommendations of the Woolf Committee. This follows publication of the Woolf Committee report, as well as Transparency International UK's detailed analysis of the report, including a comparison with Transparency International UK’s own recommendations in our pre-report submission to the Committee.
Showcase
United Nations arms trade treaty
The UN First Committee convened in New York in October 2008 to consider the assessment of the scope and feasibility of the proposed Arms Trade Treaty by the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE). In our submission, Transparency International UK´s ´defence against corruption´ programme urges the UN First Committee to make the inclusion of strong anti-corruption controls a core part of the proposed treaty. Read the Transparency International UK submission “Anti corruption provisions in the arms trade treaty“
History of the proposed Arms Trade Treaty
UN Resolution 61/89 "Towards an arms trade treaty: establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms“ was approved by the general assembly in December 2006. 139 states voted in favour; 1 state voted against (USA); and there were 24 abstentions. In supporting this resolution, an overwhelming majority of states recognised the importance of strengthened and global standards to control the arms trade.
Why anti-corruption provisions?
Corruption facilitates the circumvention of arms controls. Left unchecked, corruption has the potential to undermine the very raison d'être of the Arms Trade Treaty. The effectiveness of the Treaty depends therefore, among other factors, on it tackling this most important issue in a comprehensive and meaningful way. The case for the inclusion of strong anti-corruption provisions in the proposed treaty is further strengthened by
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Broad support: In written submissions to the UN on the ATT, at least 19 states made explicit references to the issue of corruption and bribery (these included Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Iceland, Japan, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Netherlands, Niger, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Togo, UK and Zambia). Some states specifically proposed the inclusion of a ‘bribery risk assessment’.
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UN call for intensification of efforts: The United Nations Guidelines for International Arms Transfers, as developed by the Commission on Disarmament and endorsed by the UN General Assembly, call on States to “intensify their efforts to prevent corruption and bribery in connection with the transfer of arms”.
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Econometric research: has uncovered the existence of a positive link between corruption and arms imports in Africa, showing that the greater is corruption the greater is the import of arms. Corruption in turn has been shown to undermine development and growth.
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Poor public perceptions: Transparency International’s ‘Bribe Payer’s Index’ showed that globally the arms trade is viewed globally as one of the two most corrupt sectors (with the construction sector)
With its submission Transparency International UK urges the UN First Committee to include rigorous and detailed anti-corruption provisions in the heart of the ATT.
Publications
Building Transparency and Reducing Corruption in Defence
With Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) and DCAF (Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces), DAC organised a workshop on the topic of how multilateral bodies can promote and support integrity building in defence institutions in Geneva. Proceedings and outputs from the workshop can be viewed in the workshop report here.
Specific areas for action were identified including the development of a defence integrity alliance, the review of reform processes by the NATO School with Transparency International, the development of civil society tools for oversight of defence budgets including the potential extension of the Open Budget Index to the defence sector, the possible extension of other accountability tools to the defence sector by multilaterals such as the World Bank, and the engagement with new bodies and expansion of current engagements with bodies such as the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the African Union and the EU Defence and Security Sub Committee.
Forthcoming DAC publications
- 'Public Perceptions of Corruption in the Military in Europe and the Rest of the World'
- to be published in "European Security" journal on 29 December 2008
- This paper presents the results of the Global Corruption Barometer Survey 2006 and 2007 as they relate to the military, showing that globally the military is regarded as relatively corruption-free compared with other institutions such as political parties and parliaments. Only religious bodies and NGOs benefit from more favourable perceptions. The most positive perceptions of the military are found in Western Europe, while the least favourable are found in Africa, Latin America and Newly Independent States. The disaggregated results also reveal broad variation in perceptions by country, with some surprising scores thrown up. The analysis is enriched with context and local perspectives provided by anti-corruption experts.
- 'Ethics and business conduct in defence establishments - an international review',
- Whilst no countries had perfect regimes, the research demonstrated a more proactive approach from Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Norway, Romania, South Africa, UK and the USA
- publication date tbc
- 'The extent of defence corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa'
- evidence paper based on third-party research and reports commissioned by UK Department for International Development
- publication date tbc
- 'A first look at the extent of single source contracting in the defence sector'
- to be published in "Defence & Security Analysis" journal, publication date tbc
Interview
Colonel USA MC Tabak, Commandant of NATO School Oberammergau
Prior to his position as commandant of NATO School, Colonel Tabak was commanding officer of Combined Arms Training Centre Camp Fuji, Japan, where he trained marines for deployment, to for instance Afghanistan and Iraq, and for engagement in tsunami relief. Previously Colonel Tabak served for 27 years in the marine corps.
Transparency International UK’s defence against corruption programme spoke with Colonel Tabak about the ‘building integrity in defence institutions’ training module recently piloted in the NATO School.
"In terms of key areas in defence institutions for anti-corruption reform, each country has its own strengths. As far as transparency and accountability go, each country also has its places that might need improvement. Similarly, when it comes to implementation – for instance accomplishing budget credibility and comprehensiveness, or transparent, policy based budgeting – each country has its own systems; and a system which works in one country or culture may not work in another. That said, external scrutiny and audit might be the one area where all nations can improve – tending as they do to bring a laser focus on to a nation’s systems.
In the ‘building integrity in defence institutions’ programme, we stress a country led approach. Each country can take a hard look at themselves through the use of the self assessment. Based on the results of this they can submit to a much more in-depth and comprehensive assessment that is tailored to the results of the initial assessment. After this countries are further provided with a compendium of best practice, allowing in the areas where they may have weaknesses to observe how others have tackled those exact same issues and to identify elements of best practice that might best suit them. Specifically to support all of this, our programme allows for the training of officials who play a role in self assessment and implementation. It is a country led approach. We are not here to tell countries how they should do business because all countries no matter who they are suffer to a greater or lesser degree in this area.
We were really pleased with the results of the building integrity in defence institutions training module. The actual module doesn’t belong to the NATO School, rather it was developed jointly by Transparency International UK, the NATO International Staff, the UK Royal Defence Academy, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, the Swedish National Defence College and the NATO School. We held the training module here at NATO School in September 2008. 11 nations were represented. From the student feedback it was very well received. Nations expressed their desire to attend next time the course is held here, while others asked for the course to be held in their nation. For instance the entire package has been invited to Afghanistan for the first part of next year, to support the training of their government officials. My gut feeling is the reason it has met with a positive response is because we are not telling people what to do. It is a country led initiative. Whether it is the tools for self assessment, the compendium of best practice or the training course, it is in their ballpark and countries pursue it as best they can. It is country led, supported by Transparency International UK, the UK Defence Academy, NATO International Staff and the NATO School. We support their best efforts.
With our nascent experience thus far there seems to be a real hunger in many nations and quarters for this type of support to their good efforts. I see this growing and as being a good contribution to nations that are doing good work. It has a bright future."
Coming Up
Monterey ConferenceWith NATO and the United States Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), DAC is involved in the organisation of a major international conference to take place in the NPS, Monterey, California, in February 2009. This event will form the backdrop to the 60th Anniversary celebrations of NATO in the United States. The conference will take stock of progress to date on the programme of building integrity in defence institutions, and plan for the way forward.
The NPS press release 'NATO conference on building integrity and institution building in the defense sector to be held in Monterey' (10 July 2008) notes "the invitation-only gathering brings together senior officials from NATO member countries, Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries, non-NATO partner countries, international oganizations such as the World bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), defence industry groups and companies, and non-government organizations in preparation for the 2009 NATO Summit. It provides an opportunity for participants to present their contributions in the development of more efficient and effective defense forces in the areas of institution building and countering corruption, the introduction of new tools for support integrity building initiatives among NATO member and partnership nations, and the identification of opportunities for continued collaboration and promotion of best practices."
Jobs
Programme coordinatorTransparency International UK's defence against corruption programme will begin recruitment for a new programme coordinator shortly. The successful candidate will start work with the team in early 2009. The post will be advertised on the www.defenceagainstcorruption.org webpages. Stay tuned!
Contact us
2nd Floor
Downstream Building
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Map
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Including...
Asia-Pacific: Why Eurocopter deal was scrapped
Europe: Trust Fund contributes to good governance
Americas: Guilty Plea Given in Iraq Contract Fraud
Middle East: MacKay seeks to eliminate corruption
Africa: Meremeta, Tangold controversy rages in House
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Read more...
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Including...
Interview: Andrew Mwenda, Uganda
Asia-Pacific: 'Emperor' admits to bribes (Japan)
Europe: Serious Fraud Office unlawful in ending BAE probe (UK)
Americas: Washington Blocks Exports of Munitions Firm Suspected of Fraud (US)
Middle East: Secret Iraqi Deal Shows Problems in Arms Orders (Iraq)
Africa: UN troops 'armed DR Congo rebels'
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Andrew Mwenda
Journalist
Managing editor of The Independent current affairs and news magazine in Uganda, and political editor of The Monitor
March 2008
The Defence Anti-Corruption team recently spoke with Andrew Mwenda about his experiences as a journalist in Uganda, and in particular his work focusing on the defence sector.
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Neil Davies
Defence Economist
Neil Davies heads the directorate responsible for economic statistics and economic advice at the UK Ministry of Defence ‘Defence Analaytical Services and Advice’.
April 2008
Defence economist Neil Davies talks about transparency, competition and offsets. While the defence programme has long regarded offsets as a source of corruption risk, Neil presents the economic case for their reform as well as an idea that would allow their true cost to be identified (and help to limit corruption risk in use of offsets, globally).
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Daniel Santoro
Journalist
April 2008
Daniel Santoro is editor of the politics section of the newspaper Clarín, where he specialises in corruption cases. He is professor of the Ibero-American New Journalism Foundation (FNPI), holds workshops on investigative journalism, and is the author of five journalism books and a manual of journalism. He was awarded both the King of Spain prize and María Moors Cabot prize by the University of Colombia, amongst others. Transparency International UK’s defence sector team spoke with Daniel about the issue of defence sector corruption in Argentina.
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Michael A. Monts
Vice President, Business Practices
September 2008
Michael A. Monts has been Vice-President, Business Practices, at United Technologies since 2005 and is in charge of ethics and compliance programmes worldwide. His department takes the leadership role in cross-functional activities, such as ethics training, risk assessment, and investigations, and his department assures that effective compliance programs are developed and implemented.
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Professor Ghanim Al Najjar
Senior professor of Political Science, Kuwait University
February 2008
Professor Ghanim Al Najjar, Senior Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University is an independent expert on human rights in Somalia at the UN, and a frequent contributor to the media, including the BBC, CNN, and daily newspaper Al Jarida.
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Francois Vincke
Chairman, Anti-Corruption Commission of International Chamber of Commerce, &
Chairman, Transparency International Belgium
February 2008
The Defence Anti-Corruption Digest caught up recently with Francois Vincke of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Vincke has also been heavily engaged with Transparency International Belgium in recent years. We spoke first on general corruption issues, before moving into the detail of his work.
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Including...
Interview: Francois Vincke, ICC
Asia-Pacific: No Question of Middlemen in Defence Deals: Antony
Europe: Whitehall Revolving Door Under Scrutiny
Americas: US Defence Contract Loss an Election Issue
Middle East: Arms and the Man: Something Rotten at IAI
Africa: Whiff of Rot in Angolan Arms Deal
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Including...
Asia-Pacific: Arms procurement dogged by markups
Europe: Corrupt MoD official can keep £1.5m
Americas: Canada launches probe on arms dealer's dealings with ex-PM
Middle East: Oversight of Iraq contracts is shifted amid Army probes
Africa: Bizarre case of Libyan arms debt: Billions owed by Tripoli to Czech Republic are missing
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Mark Pieth
Chairman of the board, Basel Institute on Governance
Chair of OECD Working Group on Bribery
November 2007
In Part II of our interview, Mark Pieth discusses efforts to
tackle corruption in the defence sector at the level of government and
defence companies. See Part I, published in Digest 22, for his
discussion of collective and international efforts to fight defence
corruption.
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Including...
Interview: Mark Pieth interview II
Asia-Pacific: Indian court orders probe into French submarine deal
Europe: Former Georgian minister remains in German detention
Americas: Ex-Peruvian President Fujimori sentenced to 6 yrs in prison
Middle East: Pentagon to boost US personnel in understaffed Iraq weapons sales office by 1,000 percent
Africa: Zuma set to be charged over alleged corruption
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Read more...
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Including...
Interview: Mark Pieth
Asia-Pacific: Ex-defence aide held by Japan's prosecutors
Europe: BAE chiefs face renewed corruption inquiry
Americas: Canadian ex-PM admits mistakes over arms dealer
Middle East: Nonstop Theft and Bribery Stagger Iraq
Africa: Former MP Claims Mbeki Killed BAE Bribery Inquiry
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Mark Pieth
Chairman of the board, Basel Institute on Governance
Chair of OECD Working Group on Bribery
November 2007
In this first part of our interview Prof. Pieth discusses the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and other means of tackling defence corruption through collective, international action. In Part II, to be published in Edition 23, Mark discusses in more detail various means of dealing with defence corruption for governments and defence companies.
Since 1990 Prof. Pieth has been chairing the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions. Prof. Pieth co-founded the Basel Institute on Governance of which he is Chairman of the Board. He has been a consultant to corporations, international organisations and foreign governments on issues related to governance, participates in the Wolfsberg AML Banking Initiative as a facilitator and is Board Member of the World Economic Forum Partnering against Corruption Initiative (PACI).
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Including...
Asia-Pacific: Sri Lanka bans private arms deals
Europe: Court to study BAE fraud decision
Americas: Whistleblowers claim contractor fraud ignored
Middle East: Former Kuwaiti Defense Official Jailed For Life
Africa: SA court sanctions bribery inquiry into Zuma
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Including...
Asia & Pacific: Many questions about arms deal
Europe: Labour tries to block new BAE inquiry
Americas: U.S. officer charged in vast Iraqi bribery case
Middle East: Private security firms in Iraq fight parallel war
Africa: From banker to arms gorilla
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The defence practitioners workshop in Tbilisi, Georgia will focus on 'Economic aspects of building integrity in defence and security'.
The workshop follows up the July 2007 Shrivenham advanced research workshop, organised by NATO, the UK Defence Academy and Transparency International UK.
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Including...
Asia Pacific: Barak deal kickback £7.3m
Europe: Romania Will Sue BAE Systems For Breach Of Contract
Americas: Bush gets bill setting new limits on lobbying
Middle East: Saudi prince criticises monopoly of power at the heart of kingdom
Africa: The looting of Kenya
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Velizar
Shalamanov
Former Deputy
Minister for Defence, Bulgaria
July 2007
Mr Shalamanov was Deputy Minister
for Defence of Bulgaria from 1998 to 2001. Following this, he set up
the Centre for National Security and Defence
Research in the Academy
of Sciences. He
established with two colleagues the George
C. Marshall Association, a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization
with the mission of contributing to the development of civil society in Bulgaria
and to security and stability in South East Europe. TI UK’s defence
project caught up with Mr Shalamanov at the July 2007 NATO advanced research
workshop on ‘building transparency and integrity in a nation’s defence and
security establishments’ in the UK Defence Academy.
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Including...
Asia-Pacific: Around 286,000 arrested in Bangladesh since state of emergency declared
Europe: French arms firms say hurt by foreign bribes
Americas: Argentina Court Probes Minister On Arms Sales
Middle East: Audit Office On Iraqi Contracts Probes Bribery Case, Kickbacks
Africa: Kenyan president reappoints graft-riddled politician as minister
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Including...
Asia-Pacific: Bangladesh ex-PM charged over defence deal: state lawyer
Europe: Patria CEO Steps Down Amid Bribery Probe
Americas: US Army major pleads guilty in $5.8 million bribery deal over military bottled water contracts
Middle East: U.S. troops, contractors indicted in Afghan bribery scheme
Africa: MAN Ferrostaal says bribery claims risk scaring off offset partners
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Including...
Interview: Professor Al Najjar, Kuwait
Asia-Pacific: India Probes Barak Purchase Kickback Allegations
Europe: EADS and Airbus executives threatened with insider trading sanctions
Americas: Tough Rules Urged For Contractors
Middle East: 'Standing Up' Iraq Army Looks Open-Ended
Africa: DA Presents German Court File to Back Call for Arms Deal Probe
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Including...
Asia-Pacific: Taiwan's ex-president rejects defamation charges
Europe: Law lords: fraud office right to end bribery investigation in BAE case
Americas: Secret Arms Deals - An Invitation to Corruption?
Middle East: Corruption could undermine Afghan peace
Africa: Mbeki 'paid R30m arms-deal bribe'
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Including:
Asia-Pacific: Going out of business
Europe: Britain seen as 'more corrupt' since Blair's decision to halt SFO probe into arms deal with Saudi Arabia
Americas: Ex-president of Guatemala extradited for corruption
Middle East: US says Iran bribes Iraqi lawmakers to oppose pact
Africa: SA court rejects Zuma graft case
Interview: Michael Monts, UTC
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Including:
Asia & Pacific: India's $30 bn defence plan hampered by graft scandal
Europe: Eight suspected in Arms Sales Bribery
Americas: Columbia admits high-level military corruption
Middle East: Former U.S. Army Reserve Major sentenced to 70 months in prison
Africa: Namibian Defense boss fired amid bribe probe
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Including
Asia-Pacific: Inquiry Report In Scorpene Deal Can't Be Made Public: CBI
Europe: Military corruption costs Russia almost $80 million in 2008
Americas: Argentine ex-leader Menem on trial for arms sales
Middle East: Corruption holds back Afghan army expansion
Africa: 'Bribes', BAe – and the billionaire who loves champagne and women
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Including:
Interview: Sung-Goo Kang
Asia & Pacific: Left wants missile deal with Israeli firm cancelled (India)
Europe: Army corruption crimes damages exceed 2 bln rbls in 2008 (Russia)
Americas: Obama to Change Contract Awarding (USA)
Middle East: Inquiry on Graft in Iraq Focuses on U.S. Officers (Iraq)
Africa: Zuma Won’t Face Charges Till After South African Poll (South Africa)
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Frank Boland
Director, Force Planning
Defence Policy and Planning Division, NATO
June 2007
From his vantage point in the coordination mechanisms of NATO, Mr.
Boland connects transparency in the defence sector to wider issues of
domestic governance and international cooperation.
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Judge Van Ruymbeke
Paris “Pôle Financier du Tribunal”
May 2007
Judge Renaud Van Ruymbeke has been an investigative magistrate at the Paris “Pôle Financier du Tribunal” for seven years. Investigations have included the Elf affair, the French-Taiwan frigates affair and the Clearstream affair. Previous postings include a teaching post at the national judge’s school in Bordeaux, the École Nationale de la Magistrature.
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Read more...
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Including...
Asia Pacific: Swiss returns funds to Taiwan in frigate scandal
Europe: Czech Defence Ministry prepares anti-corruption programme
Americas: U.S. Launches Corruption Probe into Britain’s BAE
Middle East: Military leader worries about corruption
Africa: South Africa joins bribery crackdown
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Including...
Interview: Judge Van Ruymbeke
Asia-Pacific: Bangladesh military confronts corruption
Europe:Sweden’s squeaky-clean image sullied by scandals
Americas: FBI probes Nevada governor for corruption
Middle East: Friend of the world's leaders: man at the centre of arms deal
Africa: Nigerian diplomat caught with 2.3 million dollars at Delhi airport
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Fritz Heimann
Transparency International
March 2007
Fritz Heimann spent his pre-Transparency International career at General Electric, where his responsibilities included anti-bribery compliance. In the early 1990s, General Electric allowed Heimann to devote some of his time to help Peter Eigen and others to set up Transparency International. In 1996 he retired as Associate General Counsel of General Electric, and began full-time work for Transparency International. He was deeply involved in the negotiations on the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials, and leads TI’s efforts to strengthen its implementation.
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Read more...
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Including...
Interview : Frank Boland, NATO
Asia Pacific: India-Russia Defense Deals Hit Roadblock; Russia Refuses To Sign Integrity Pact
Europe: Austrian general suspended over questions about fighter jet deal
Americas: More than 100 police officers detained in Mexico
Middle East: Iraq reconstruction 'not working'
Africa: Zuma, Thint May Appeal Mauritius Ruling
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Edward Hosea
Director General, Tanzanian Prevention of Corruption Bureau
February 2007
Edward Hoseah is Director General of the Tanzanian Prevention of Corruption Bureau. It is a public department under direct control and supervision of the President. Mr Hoseah notes that the Bureau is “operationally independent”.
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Read more...
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Including...
Interview : Fritz Heimann
Asia Pacific: Involvement of Senior Officers in Corruption
Europe: Trial looms for Mitterrand son on Angola arms sale Americas:
Middle East: 'Ghost soldiers' filling ranks in Iraq, Pentagon report finds
Africa: Arms Deal: De Lille Lays Charges
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Including...
Interview : Edward Hoseah, Prevention of Corruption Bureau Tanzania
Asia Pacific: Opposition demands extradition of Italian businessman in illegal arms deal
Europe: No Joy for Zuma as State Vacillates on Corruption Charge
Americas: Pentagon investigates Blackwater’s expense tab
Middle East: Iraq ousts 10000 in security ministry
Africa: Zuma opposes bid for documents from Mauritius
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Including...
Feature : F & C Investments "Focus on aerospace and defence"
Asia Pacific: Chinese military sets new rules to fight graft
Europe: BAE bosses named as corruption suspects
Americas: Senate approves major overhaul of ethics rules
Middle East: Investigators: Millions in Iraq Aid Wasted
Africa: Arms deal investigators probe BAE payments to South African
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Read more...
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Including...
Asia Pacific: Defence deals to be speeded up: Antony
Europe: City attacks ending of BAE probe
Americas: Pentagon cited for weak oversight of Iraq contractors
Africa: NPA driven by ‘ulterior motives’
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Lord Garden
Interview II
October 2006
Lord Garden has been visiting professor at the Centre for Defence Studies, King's College London since 2000 and is the 2004 Wells Professor at Indiana University. Since retiring from the RAF, Lord Garden has been closely involved in developing foreign and security policy for the Liberal Democrats and is the party's Defence spokesman in the Lords. Lord Garden was awarded a CB in 1992, and received his knighthood in 1994.
Lord Garden sits on the strategy group of Transparency International UK’s preventing corruption in the official arms trade project.
Our interview with Lord Garden is split over editions 8 and 9. This second interview, below, is on UK domestic issues. Please see last month’s Digest (Edition 8) for the first instalment on international issues.
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Interview : Alan Garwood, DESO
Asia Pacific: India charges bad-egg generals over scams
Europe: Judges interview French defence minister over dirty tricks scandal
Americas: Costa Rica’s President Calls for Stricter Controls on Arms Trading
Middle East: Corruption: the second insurgency costing $4billion a year
Africa: Bad news for Shaik – an ominous twist for Zuma
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Lord Garden
Interview I
September 2006
Lord Garden has been visiting professor at the Centre for Defence Studies, King's College London since 2000 and is the 2004 Wells Professor at Indiana University. Since retiring from the RAF, Lord Garden has been closely involved in developing foreign and security policy for the Liberal Democrats and is the party's Defence spokesman in the Lords. Lord Garden was awarded a CB in 1992, and received his knighthood in 1994.
Lord Garden sits on the strategy group of Transparency International UK’s preventing corruption in the official arms trade project.
Our interview with Lord Garden is split over editions 8 and 9. The first interview, below, is broadly on international defence issues. Next month’s edition will continue on UK issues.
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Interview: Lord Garden, Interview 2
Asia Pacific: No decision on blacklisting Barak firm
Europe: SFO raids four offices in BAE contracts probe
Americas: American Accused of Taking a Bribe for Work in Iraq
Middle East: CBS: Corrupt Arms Deal Cost Iraq $800 million
Africa: Mbeki: No substance to arms deal rumours
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Interview : Lord Garden, Interview 1
Asia Pacific: Defence Attache recalled
Europe: Romanian President Suspends Defense Minister
Americas: Haliburton Fraud Lawsuit Details Super Bowl Party
Middle East: "I Was a Propaganda Intern in Iraq"
Africa: Zuma's corruption trial collapses
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Lord Robertson
Deputy Chairman TNK-BP, and former secretary general, NATO
July 2006
interviewed by John Githongo
Lord Robertson was secretary general of NATO, and before that Defence Secretary of the UK. He is currently Chairman of Cable & Wireless International, and is working with international defence industry and Transparency International UK to create an international defence industry anti-corruption consortium.
John Githongo left his position of Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics of Kenya in 2005 after his attempts to root out grand corruption in the Kibaki government were obstructed and were met with increasing hostility. He currently resides at Oxford University.
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Interview: Ian McNamee Saab
Asia Pacific: China Targets Bribery in Military Spending
Europe: Germany Probes Fairfax Contractor In Iraq
Americas: Pinchet loses legal immunity
Middle East: Former Iraqi Minister arrested for corruption
Africa: Pahad Recalls that He Met French Arms Maker After All
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Interview : Lord Robertson of Port Ellen
Asia Pacific: Taiwan's Ex-Premier Hau Grilled Over Alleged Role in Frigate Scandal
Europe: Excellent Connections
Americas US Congress to question Pakistan F-16 deal
Middle East: U.S. Officer Reported Ready To Plead Guilty In Bribery Case Involving Iraq Building Contracts
Africa: Government 'In the Clear over Arms Deal'
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John Githongo
Fellow, St Anthony’s College, Oxford University
Former Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics, Kenya
June 2006
John Githongo left his position of Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics of Kenya in 2005 after his attempts to root out grand corruption in the Kibaki government were obstructed and met with increasing hostility. Mr Githongo now resides at Oxford University, from where he published his dossier detailing corruption and bribery schemes in the Kenyan government.
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Including:
Interview :John Githongo
Asia Pacific: Government issues blacklist of 118 defence suppliers
Europe: Arms boss wrote key letter in France scandal
Americas: Congress bribery probe could deepen
Middle East: Lobbyist Says Client Paid Half of Town House's Cost
Africa: Probe that arms deal
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Van Vuuren
Head of Institute of security Studies (ISS Africa)
May 2006
Hennie Van Vuuren is programme head of the Corruption and Governance Programme at the ISS, an applied policy research NGO focused on supporting and enhancing the debate on human security issues on the African continent: including organised crime, money laundering, corruption and governance across the African continent. ISS has offices in Cape Town, Pretoria, Addis Ababa and Nairobi .
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Interview :Hennie Van Vuuren ISSAfrica
Asia Pacific:Indian court demands answers on submarine kickback charge
Europe: OECD says companies must reveal records on bribery
Americas:US Contractor Admits Bribery for Jobs in Iraq
Middle East: Contractors in Afghanistan are making big money for bad work
Africa: Kenya’s VP under siege over corruption
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Feature Story: Bid to end Saudi probe over arms deal threat
Asia Pacific: Agency puts end to amakudari
Europe: BAE ordered to name payment agents
Americas: No. 3 CIA official investigated on ties to Wilkes
Middle East:: Witness protection demanded in Israel for investigation into police corruption
Africa: Interview with John Githongo
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Sanjeev Gupta
Economist, IMF
March 2006
In 2000, authors Sanjeev Gupta, Luiz de Mello and Raju Sharan wrote the IMF Working Paper “Corruption and Military Spending” (viewed here). Based on empirical analysis the “paper argues that corruption is associated with higher military spending. The paper also outlines several reasons for this association, such as the secrecy of defence procurement and greater competition among arms dealers. The authors find that countries with higher corruption indicators spend more on defense as a share of the GDP and total government expenditures.” The Digest caught up with one of the authors, Sanjeev Gupta, in January to find out more.
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Interview - Sanjeev Gupta, IMF
Asia Pacific : Japan outspends China militarily but keeps clean
Europe : Corruption case in army is exceptional – Defence Minister Kuehnl
Americas : Venezuelan military officers charged with corruption
Middle East : Halliburton cuts Iraq bill in wake of overcharging claim
Africa : John Githongo releases dossier detailing corruption in Kenya
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Steven A. Shaw*
U.S. Department of the Air Force
Deputy General Counsel for Contractor Responsibility Air Force Debarment and Suspending Official
January 2006
Steve Shaw was appointed U.S. Air Force Deputy General Counsel for Contractor Responsibility in 1996. His mission is to ensure that the U.S. Air Force deals only with honest and responsible contractors. Shaw notes “contractors who are less than honest and competent compromise flight safety, erode public confidence in the procurement process and cause losses to the taxpayer. The U.S. Air Force takes the issue of contractor responsibility very seriously.”
* Mr. Shaw agreed to be interviewed with the understanding that the views he expresses here are his own, and not necessarily those of the U.S. Department of the Air Force, or the Department of Defense.
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Interview : Steve Shaw
Asia Pacific: Arms Acquisition Office Launched (South Korea)
Europe: French Judges search Thales Headquarters (France)
Americas: Pentagon’s ‘black’ budget ripe for corruption (USA)
Middle East: Sharon hit by another corruption scandal (Israel)
Africa: Government to cancel contract with Denel for procurement of rifles (South Africa)
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