By Samuel Bakowski

In the video, Rodrigo Rosenberg said that his life was at risk because “he planned to go public with evidence that the Colom administration used Guatemala’s rural development bank, Banrural, to launder drug money and funnel public funds to drug cartels through shell organizations,” reports Associated Press (AP).

President Alvaro Colom has flatly denied the allegations. “I haven’t killed anyone. I’m not a drug trafficker and I’ve never made shady deals against the opposition. The truth about Rosenberg’s murder will be revealed; the truth about the preparation of the video and the hatching of this plot also will be discovered,” Colom told EFE in an interview.

Colom’s foreign minister has “suggested the entire scandal might be staged by organized crime groups,” according to AP.

Rosenberg has “offered no proof to back up his allegations, but the fact that he foretold his murder … has led to calls for the resignation of Mr. Colom,” notes the New York Times.

“Thousands of protestors have demonstrated daily in front of the presidential palace, calling for Colom’s resignation,” reports Time.

The murder has “polarised society into two camps: mostly middle and upper class protesters who are demanding the centre-left head of state step down and poor demonstrators who support Colom,” writes EFE.

The New York Times reported that "Besides professing his innocence, Mr. Colom has turned the case over to the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala," a UN body set up in 2007 to help "strengthen a weak judiciary."

However, Carlos Castresana, head of the UN agency, "warns it will be hard to solve the crime in a judicial system . . . [where] only 3 percent of criminal cases go to trial," according to AP.

Rosenberg’s killing represents one of more than 2,500 on record this year, according to the New York Times, which also notes that on average 16 murder victims turn up in Guatemala every day.

“This is the most serious political crisis the country has faced since the signing of the peace accords [in 1996],” Anita Isaacs, a political science professor at Haverford College and a Guatemala expert, told Time. “The country is hanging by a thread.”

In a statement on its website, Banrural has called for a “full investigation” into Rosenberg’s accusations, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Photo: Flickr/rudygiron

By Michael Sidwell

An arrest warrant against Sudani accuses him of, “stealing public money and mismanaging the ministry by importing expired foods and employing his relatives, including two brothers,” details the Washington Post. According to the New York Times, “The Trade Ministry’s duties include the oversight of various imports, including food staples, automobiles and construction materials. The ministry also operates the program that provides monthly food rations for Iraqis, offering items like sugar, rice, milk, tea, cooking oil and soap at heavily subsidized prices.”

“During Mr. Sudani’s tenure, however, there were frequent shortages, and some of the goods were distributed long after their expiration dates, arousing widespread public anger,” notes the article .

“We will not remain silent over corruption after today,” said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during a visit to the Trade Ministry. “We will pursue those corrupt and bring them to justice” (Washington Post).

“The Government, which is aware of seething public disquiet over top-level corruption that is crippling the Iraqi economy and costing millions in lost investment, has promised severe action against guilty parties regardless of their stature. More than 997 arrest warrents have been issued this year as a result of the anti-corruption drive, including 51 for top-level officials,” write the Times.

Reuters reports that: “Officials estimate billion of dollars are embezzled or paid in bribes for government contracts, hurting Iraq’s ability to rebuild its shattered economy and infrastructure at a time when low oil prices are cutting into state revenues.”

Lawmakers have plans to question the “ministers of transportation and oil about mismanagement and corruption,” according to the Washington Post .

“Corruption is like terrorism, even more dangerous than terrorism,” Mahmoud Othman, an independent lawmaker, told the Washington Post. “It disintegrates the country and affects everything.”

Photo:Flickr/yasalbaz

By Samuel Bakowski

Over several weeks, “disclosures over how British legislators used public money to pay for items ranging from horse manure to plasma TVs and swimming pool repairs have outraged voters and forced dozens of House of Commons lawmakers to announce early retirement,” reports Associated Press (AP).

“Details of the claims were to have been released in July following a freedom of information ruling that ordered expense receipts to be made public. But the details have been published by the Daily Telegraph newspaper after it acquired copies in advance,” notes the article.

“Most of the claims were legally valid under Parliament’s lax rules, but some – like claiming payments for mortgages that were already paid off – could spark criminal charges,” notes AP .

A number of politicians have stepped down and the Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, “became the first Commons Speaker to be effectively forced out of office for 300 years after criticism of his handling of MPs’ expenses,” writes the BBC.

“As many as 325 of Britain’s 646 House of Commons lawmakers could quit or be ousted by voters as a direct result of the scandal,” says Colin Rallings, director of the University of Plymouth’s elections data centre, notes AP.

“What we have got to do is restore public trust, to restore people’s faith that politicians are worthy of their trust,” said Prime Minister Gordon Brown ( Telegraph). “All MPs' receipts for expenses claimed over four years must be independently scrutinised.” Brown told the BBC.

Conservative party opposition leader David Cameron, said that people “want to see real action to bring about change – not just in the expenses system, but in the whole political system” (Independent).

A poll conducted for the Times reports “an overwhelming majority of people believe that MPs are self-serving, out of touch and guilty of abuse.” A Guardian/ICM survey found “a quarter of voters are planning to reject mainstream political parties in favour of minority ones because of the expenses crisis,” reports Reuters.

“If MPs are to have legitimacy as lawmakers, they need to be exemplars of personal integrity,” commented Transparency International UK .

“Figures released to Parliament show that the 646 House of Commons legislators claimed 93 million pounds ($134 million) in allowances and expenses last year, reports AP.

On 25 May, Gordon Brown “ordered his European legislators to meet stricter accountability rules amid fears that similar abuses could be taking place at the European Parliament,” reports AP.

Photo:Flickr/BenLancaster