Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering Archives

House Committee Investigating January 6 Ends Work

3Jan

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Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Types of News: Brief, United States

House Committee Investigating January 6 Ends Work

The House Jan. 6 Committee released its final report on Dec. 19, 2022. Investigation Shows The Fragility of U.S. Democracy January 3, 2023—As a new Congress begins to take shape in Washington, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol completed its work. At its core, the committee upheld its purpose of defending democracy in the United States. A key tenet of democracy is free and fair elections. In the 2020 presidential elections, the country nearly lost in fulfilling that promise to the people. Former President Donald Trump used every means possible—including a violent attack on the legislature—to hold onto power. As the truth came to light, the evidence showed the fragility of the republic itself and the key tenets of democracy i...

21Oct

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Big Tech, Digital Economy, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering

Interpol Embraces The Metaverse

Interpol launched its version of a Metaverse platform in New Delhi, Indian on October 20, 2022. International Policing Agency Plans To Target Financial And Cyber-based Crimes October 21, 2022—Interpol, an international organization that trains and serves as a coordination hub for its 194 members, is embracing the Metaverse. The agency announced today it is now part of the Metaverse, where humans become avatars interacting in a make-believe digital world. The agency plans to use its Metaverse creation to train police worldwide and provide an alternative way for officers to meet each other. "As the number of Metaverse users grows and the technology further develops, the list of possible crimes will only expand to potentially include crimes against children, data theft, money laun...

3 Things That Cross The U.S.-Mexican Border: Drugs, Guns, And Migrants

19Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Diplomacy and International Law, Types of News: Analysis

3 Things That Cross The U.S.-Mexican Border: Drugs, Guns, And Migrants

October 19, 2022—The United States and Mexico have at least three things in common: drugs, guns and migrants. The U.S.-Mexico border is porous, and trafficking of all three runs rampant. In the United States, deadly drugs from the South kill Americans. Conversely, in Mexico, illegal firearms from the North empower cartels and endanger society. Meanwhile, migrants from around the world risk their lives to make it across the border. A Shared Border, Shared Problems Leaders in both governments recognize the problems. Their presidents are making plans to address them. Speaking by phone late Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador reviewed plans to improve security along the border, prosecute gun traffickers, reduce illegal migration, ...

25Mar

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Eastern Europe, Human rights, Types of News: Videos

PROFILE: Alexey Navalny, Kremlin-Critic And Founder Of Anti-Corruption Foundation

Alexey Navalny is the founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation. 'Corruption Kills,' Says Navalny Pointing to Russia's Bombing Campaigns On Ukrainian Cities March 25, 2022--Alexey Navalny is the founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation. Now based in New York, the ACF conducts investigations into corruption and produces documentaries about oligarchs' wealth. He's been poisoned and jailed by the Russian government. Navalny is serving a sentence on charges the rest of the world recognizes as politically motivated by the Kremlin. Ironically, the Russian government's actions only shed more light on the state's corruption and repression of civil liberties. Russian Chemical Weapons In 2020, Navalny survived a nerve agent attack linked to the Russian Federal Security Service. As a...

Key Takeaways From PM Boris Johnson’s Address To Parliament on Ukraine

24Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Diplomacy and International Law, Globalization, Disintegration, Nationalism, Populism, Types of News: Analysis

Key Takeaways From PM Boris Johnson’s Address To Parliament on Ukraine

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses his parliament on Feb. 24, 2022. February 24, 2022--The United Kingdom's Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the House of Commons today, rallying the British people in what is likely to be a long battle against the Russian government in the aftermath of its assault on Ukraine. Here are some key points from the question and answers: Tougher Finance in London. Britain is likely to crack down on financial transactions. London has long been the home of financial transactions and attracts some of the world's big money players. With that, it's earned a reputation as a tax haven, a safe haven for hiding and even laundering cash. That's all about to change as U.K. politicians hone in Russian banks, oligarchs and business transactions. "We mu...

U.S. Justice Dept Sets Up Crypto Crime Office

24Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals

U.S. Justice Dept Sets Up Crypto Crime Office

February 24, 2022--The U.S. Justice Department established a department to investigate the criminal use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets and named its first director. The department tapped Eun Young Choi to serve as the first director of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team. Choi has previously served the Justice Department as a senior counsel, an assistant U.S. Attorney and a lead prosecutor. "The NCET will play a pivotal role in ensuring that as the technology surrounding digital assets grows and evolves, the department in turn accelerates and expands its efforts to combat their illicit abuse by criminals of all kinds," Choi said.

Unsealed Document Reveals New Twist In The Alex Saab Story

18Feb

By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments

Communism, Dictatorship, authoritarian, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Human rights, Types of News: Analysis

Unsealed Document Reveals New Twist In The Alex Saab Story

International Corruption Case Spanning Two Continents And Two Decades Grows Even More Intriguing By Ernesto Rodgriguez @Ernestoalexan February 18, 2022—Since 2018, the mere mention of the name Alex Saab to Venezuelans at home and abroad evokes bad memories of rotten food and rice with metal. For the rest of the world, here’s a bit of background that puts this week’s revelations in perspective. Saab is the Columbian businessman who cheated Venezuela’s starving population during the worst point of an economic and political crisis that continues to this day. A Corrupt Food Program In terms of international intrigue, the Saab story is one for the ages. It was in 2018 when an investigations team at ArmandoInfo published a piece about corruption inside the food Ven...

Ahead Of Honduras Critical Election, Political Violence Emerges

26Nov

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief

Ahead Of Honduras Critical Election, Political Violence Emerges

U.S. And China Vie For Influence In Honduras As Taiwan Arises As An Issue November 26, 2021—Ahead of Sunday's election in Honduras, the people face a critical choice between a corrupt status quo and an alternative that may bring in a left-wing and perhaps "communist" agenda. The election has implications for Central America and beyond. The battle is between the conservative National Party, in power since a 2009 coup and run by a corrupt leader, versus the left-wing Libre Party. The Libre Party candidate Xiomara Castro is leading in the polls. If she wins, she's expected to usher in change. Story Update: Libre Party candidate Xiomara Castro, 62, won the election after running on an anti-corruption platform. She replaces President Juan Orlando Hernández as the country's top lea...

UN Peacekeepers Under Investigation for Trafficking Diamonds And Gold

8Nov

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Critical Minerals, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

UN Peacekeepers Under Investigation for Trafficking Diamonds And Gold

File photo: UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. Source: UN November 8, 2021--Over 300 Portuguese police and military officers are investigating reports that elite Portuguese troops taking part in a UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic may have engaged in the illegal trafficking of diamonds, gold, and drugs. Officers issued 10 arrest warrants and raided properties in Lisbon, Funchal, Bragança, Porto de Mós, Entroncamento, Setúbal, Beja and Faro, The Guardian and other news outlets reported on Monday. “What we are looking into now is the possibility that some soldiers taking part in the national detached force in CAR were used as couriers in the trafficking of diamonds, gold and drugs,” the army said in a statement. According to reporting by The G...

Venezuela ‘Envoy’ Faces Day In U.S. Court

18Oct

By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Diplomacy and International Law, Types of News: Brief

Venezuela ‘Envoy’ Faces Day In U.S. Court

Alex Saab Faces Charges Of Money Laundering, Bribery Corruption October 18, 2021—After months in prison in Cape Verde, Alex Saab finally crossed the Atlantic on Saturday under extradition orders by the United States. Today, he appeared in federal court in Miami, Florida, where he faces charges of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Specifically, the U.S. Justice Department accuses Saab, a Columbian citizen, of laundering proceeds of an illegal bribery scheme from Venezuela bank accounts to and through U.S. bank accounts. No Ordinary Case It is not an ordinary corruption case. That is because he is a close affiliate of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, an authoritarian leader who controls much of the weak economy. The two are so close, in fact, that the Mad...