On 28 November, the TI chapter in Morocco, Transparency Maroc, held a training course for journalists on tackling corruption in Morocco. The one-day event was attended by about 20 journalists. In the morning session, discussions focused on TI’s measurement tools, such as the Corruption Perceptions Index, the recent creation of the Moroccan anti-corruption agency (ICAC), and the role of the press in fighting corruption. In the afternoon, the legal framework, the role of civil society and the activities of Transparency Maroc were discussed. Presentations were also given by members of the chapter’s executive bureau.

The event was part of TI Morocco’s media programme, the National Observatory for Corruption, which monitors national news stories on corruption to identify key areas where the national integrity system fails, and makes recommendations on how corruption in different sectors can be tackled.

The Palestinian TI chapter AMAN recently held a three-day training course for journalists and media activists to enhance the capacity of local media to contribute to the fight against corruption.

The course included key lectures and discussions, which were led by media expert Bienaz Sameer Batrawi and legal expert Nasser Al-Raiees. During the three days, participants considered such issues as the role of journalism as a corruption watchdog, morality and the media, and the international mechanisms of the UN Anti-corruption Convention.

Participants acknowledged the importance of an active website as an idea exchanging platform to tackling corruption.

Mr. Mountaser Hamdan, general coordinator of the media Network for Transparency and Integrity, encouraged participants to join the coalition and noted how the network is prepared to publish investigative reports from media activists and journalists wherever local media denies publication.

In a closing speech, AMAN executive director, Ghada Zughayar, announced AMAN’s intention to establish an Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) to provide legal advice to victims and witnesses of cases related to corruption in the Palestinian territories. Such a centre would be the first of its kind in the Arab region to handle such issues.

The municipality of Maipú became the first town in the country to receive a certificate of transparency from the TI chapter in Chile, Chile Transparente (CT). Experts from the chapter praised Maipú’s current administration for its progressive use of e-governance tools to turn the government website into a one-stop portal for accessing public information, offering commendably high levels of information disclosure.

The TI chapter in Guatemala, Acción Cuidadana, was invited to provide expert advice on and oversight of the design and implementation of Mi Familia Progresa, a government social welfare programme. The chapter made an initial evaluation of the programme’s transparency and accountability mechanisms, concluding its website, which meets two of the 21 criteria for information disclosure set out by Guatemala’s recently passed Access to Information Law, showed a lack of commitment to transparency. The evaluation cautioned that the lack of a coherent publicity campaign surrounding the citizen surveys carried out as part of the programme could result in misinformation and limited citizen participation. It was also noted that the complaints mechanism in place could be improved. The chapter has provided training for civil society representatives and beneficiaries of the programme on how to carry out “Social Audits” in order to ensure correct and inclusive oversight of the government’s response to the recommendations outlined in the evaluation.

The TI chapter in Nicaragua, Ética y Transparencia (EyT), issued its second round of awards for participants in its two municipal transparency projects. Dealing with budget transparency and oversight of public procurement activities, these projects address public criticism of municipal governments’ management of funding allocations. Winners were chosen from among the 46 municipalities assessed during the two projects and commended for the positive results achieved by tighter regulation and higher standards in the planning, design and supervision stages of large-scale procurement and public works projects. It is expected that this strategy of building partnerships with local-level public officials will ensure the long-term sustainability of such progress.

The TI chapter in Venezuela put a spotlight on candidates of the municipal elections, which were held on 23 November. Candidates were encouraged to sign 25-point transparency pledges, which aimed to translate anti-corruption election promises into firm, publicly-declared, long-term commitments to transparency. The chapter’s blog charted the process from April 2008. In August, the chapter published its fourth edition of its Muncipal Transparency Indicator System (Sistema de Indicadores de Transparencia Municipal, SITM). In October, the five best performers were honoured for their efforts at a special ceremony attended by TI representatives, international donors and local press. As elections approached, newly-signed pledges were documented on the blog almost daily, with the tally reaching 82 by election day. Nine candidates who signed pledges were elected, including two state governors.

In response to demands from TI Papua New Guinea and the local community to take serious and long term action against corruption, the Attorney General, Dr Allan Marat, along with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Lands and Physical Planning, Dr Puka Temu, voiced determined support to see the establishment of an Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) in Papua New Guinea.

The TI Papua New Guinea board applauded the move, describing the approach taken by the two senior government ministers as very positive, and offered their support to help advance the ICAC concept and have it implemented. Chairman Peter Aitsi said TI Papua New Guinea lobbied strongly for ICAC in 1998, and was pleased to see ICAC being pushed for once again after having been shelved despite government support the same year. While looking forward to the establishment of the ICAC, Mr. Aitsi underlined the importance of careful research in order to establish the specific type of ICAC needed in Papua New Guinea and ensure that the model chosen will function efficiently.

The chapter views the support of Attorney General Dr Allan Marat as evidence that the government is serious about honouring its commitments to the UN’s Convention Against Corruption, which the Government signed and ratified last July.

TIPNG welcomes Marat's stand on ICAC

Audit reports have been carried out on all government entities and public funds and made publicly available – testament to the progress made by the Solomon Islands’ Office of the Auditor General. The reports have uncovered several cases of suspected corruption and brought to light mismanagement within the public sector. The increased transparency that the audits have achieved was applauded by the opposition leader, Mr. Manasseh Sogavare and TI Solomon Islands. However, the chapter underlines that although this is a positive step in the right direction, this is only the first phase of reducing corruption. It is essential that the accused in these cases of mismanagement fraud and corruption are tried appropriately under the rule of law.

Auditor General’s Reports

Coinciding with the assembly of its first executive team, TI-Belgium launched its first website which can be visited at www.transparencybelgium.be.

On 3 November, the Chapter organised a debate-lunch with Anne de la Vallée Poussin, President of the Honorary Chamber of the Brussels Appeal Court, on the topic: “Fighting corruption in Belgium via prevention or repression?”

TI-Belgium also took part in two meetings with the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in the framework of its third evaluation round.

On 2 December, the TI chapter in France, Transparence International (France), and the SHERPA association announced that a complaint with a “civil party petition” was filed regarding the means through which a very important patrimony was acquired in France by Denis Sassou Nguesso (Congo-Brazzaville), Omar Bongo Ondimba (Gabon) and Téodoro Obiang Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea), as well as their relatives. The petition asserts that if the amount of real estate allegedly obtained by these families is taken into account, it is suspected that the properties could not have been acquired through their own official salaries, rather through the misappropriation of public assets.

The civil party petition aims to overturn the decision of the Public prosecutor who dismissed the case in 2007, despite a police investigation, which reportedly found multiple apartments, bank accounts and luxury cars linked to the accused. If the ruling is in support of the plaintiffs, then an investigating judge will automatically resume and extend the initial police investigation.

Two previous complaints were filed in March 2007 and July 2008 on the same case.

TI Georgia published a report in November that provides an overview and comments on the Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) for Georgia. The JNA examines the impact of the August war and presents a recovery plan worth US $3.25 billion (€ 2.4 billion) in external donor aid support over the coming three years.

By using the evaluation criteria of aid effectiveness from the Paris Declaration, the report claims the JNA could have been conducted more openly with the inclusion of independent observers. With regards to accountability, the report notes that Georgian civic organisations and Parliament have not been sufficiently consulted on JNA developments. Furthermore, the report highlights that the JNA allocates 0.03 percent of the total sum to monitor, track and assess the impact of the international aid, while the monitoring is to be carried out by line ministers and donors, with supervision from the Prime Minister’s office, without any independent parliamentary, media or civic oversight. An additional concern raised is that the JNA does not contain any freedom of information provisions compelling donors, governmental bodies, private contractor or non-governmental grant recipients to open their books to public scrutiny.

Funded by Irish Aid, the International Commitments Monitoring Programme, which is implemented by TI Georgia assesses the implementation of Georgia’s commitments outlined in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan.
Following the Brussels donor conference on the 22 October, TI Georgia will publish a new report (funded by OSCE) in early December examining the access to information and transparency of the US $4.5 billion (€ 3.3 billion) in international aid pledged.

For questions about the report, please contact TI Georgia at info@transparency.ge.

TI Russia, in cooperation with Youth Human Rights Movement, launched an online anti-corruption platform, which uses Web 2.0 tools to engage the user. The website covers 12 areas in Russia that are perceived to be most affected by corruption, such as the army, police, healthcare, education and registration bodies.

Askjournal offers visitors a wide range of corruption-related information, including step-by-step instructions on how to approach state and municipal bodies, fill out claim and complaint forms, legislation, regulating state and municipal bodies’ activities, as well as state and municipal bodies’ contact information, such as addresses and opening hours.

The decision to take the fight against corruption online was made in light of the 14 to 28 million and growing active internet users in Russia, making it a viable and efficient method to fighting corruption and reaching its victims.

The website also plans to develop a section in English dedicated to foreigners visiting, living or working in Russia.

On 9 December, International Anti-Corruption Day, Transparency International launched its 2008 Bribe Payers Index (BPI). The 2008 BPI ranks 22 of the world’s wealthiest and economically dominant countries by the likelihood of their firms to bribe abroad. It is based on the informed observations of 2,742 senior business executives from companies in 26 developed and developing countries, selected on the size of their imports and inflows of foreign direct investment.

To read the report please click here