home
about us
news room
global priorities
regional pages
policy and research
tools
publications
download newsletter in pdf-format
|
Corruption stories of note in the news this month: |
Media baron Lord Black stands trial for corruption
By Veronica Rossini
|
|
The trial of Canadian-born media mogul Lord Conrad Black on 17 criminal charges of tax evasion, obstruction of justice, money laundering, racketeering and fraud began on 20 March, reports The New York Times. Lord Black, 62, is charged with stealing US $84 million from shareholders of the media company Hollinger through “non-compete” payments from magazine and newspaper deals, according to The Guardian. |
On top of these allegations, Lord Black and wife Barbara Black supposedly spent US $1.5 million of corporate funds to redecorate their apartment in New York, US $40,000 on Mrs Black’s birthday party and used the company jet for a private holiday to Bora Bora, reports the BBC.
Lord Black has called the charges against him “absolute nonsense” and “completely without merit”, according to the BBC.
Standing trial with Lord Black on lesser charges are his former colleagues, Hollinger executives Peter Atkinson, John Boutltbee and Mark Kipnis, reports The International Herald Tribune.
Murder of cricket coach raises questions of corruption
By Stephanie Don
|
|
The murder of Pakistan’s coach Bob Woolmer during the cricket World Cup brought the question of corruption in sports back into the international limelight. Cricket has suffered from scandals in the past involving gambling rings and allegations of match fixing, and the BBC notes that many now speculate whether Woolmer’s death can be attributed to this dubious underworld. “Conspiracy theories that he was silenced as he was about to lift the lid on the world of match rigging have spread like wildfire,” reports the BBC. |
Corruption in cricket has been a problem since the 1990’s despite the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit the International Cricket Council set up to go after illegal bookies. Time magazine explains that “…bookies in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Karachi and across the Arabian Sea in Dubai pull in hundreds of millions of dollars on scheduled series of big matches, and might have been keen to shut Woolmer up if he threatened their gold mine.”
“The link between the murder of Pakistan's coach, Bob Woolmer, and match fixing is for now unproven but it is sure to form a major part of inquiries by both the Jamaican police and the cricketing authorities,“ reports the Guardian.
U.S. Congress investigates dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys
By Stephanie Don
|
|
On 7 December 2006, the U.S. Justice Department fired seven United States’ attorneys, an unprecedented number according to the New York Times, although partisans defend it as not uncommon. These dismissals, along with that of another attorney fired back in June 2006, instigated a series of Congressional hearings into whether the dismissals were politically motivated. |
According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution: “There is strong evidence that in at least three instances, prosecutors were removed because they had failed to use their office to investigate and indict Democrats, or had been too aggressive in indicting Republicans.”
The strongest example suggesting that politics are behind the dismissals, is that of Carol Lam, the fired attorney from San Diego. The Los Angeles Times cites a CBS Face the Nation interview in which, “Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) revealed evidence that Lam had notified Washington about search warrants in a Republican corruption case last year. Soon thereafter, a top Justice Department official in Washington wrote to the White House about a ‘real problem we have right now with Carol Lam.’"
The Los Angeles Times reports that similar suspicion has been raised over the case of David Iglesias, the former U.S. attorney of New Mexico. “Democrats charge that his departure is linked to veiled attempts by two Republican lawmakers to speed up action on a Democratic corruption scandal before last year's midterm election. “
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution challenges the White House’s cited reason of poor work performance for the dismissals, pointing out: “That explanation almost immediately unravelled. Most of the eight had sterling job-performance reviews and were very well regarded in their regions.”