Latest News You can keep up to date with the latest corruption news by visiting the TI-UK Newsroom: www.transparency.org.uk/news-room or by signing up for TI’s Daily Corruption News
A golden opportunity to tackle corruption through the Tier 1 investment visa scheme?
What does the Chinese State visit mean for cooperation to recover corrupt money laundered into the UK through the Tier 1 visa scheme? Read more...
National Risk Assessment: Commendable, yet Issues Remain TI-UK reflects on the National Risk Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (NRA) - while noting that the Government needs to bring consistency to its messaging Read more…
How Donors Can Combat Corruption to Meet SDGs Health Goals Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals is "Ensuring healthy lives and promotion of well-being for all at all ages". Shalni Arora asks what we have to do if we are to reach that goal. Read more...
Unmasking the Corrupt Capital Behind Property Ownership
TI-UK discusses David Cameron's speech in Singapore, where he announced a package of measures to tackle corruption within the UK property market. Read more…
What the Champion Told Us Sir Eric Pickles gave a major scene-setting speech to civil society on corruption. In it he set out five priority areas and took convincing steps to show he is the anti-corruption leader that is needed. Read more...
Corporate political activities: a competitive advantage or a ruined reputation? TI-UK looks at problems that can arise when companies become too involved in political activities and previews the upcoming Corporate Political Activities Guidance and Index. Read more...
Top Ten Stories
Our selection of ten interesting articles or reports about corruption published during the past quarter: 1. The Times │Cash from crime lords drives up house prices 2. The Independent │Anti-corruption campaigners furious as Government considers softening Bribery Act 3. The Independent │ Justice for Sale 4. The Telegraph │Former ministers walk through revolving door into boardrooms 5. The Independent │House of Lords Outcry 6. The Times │Ban MPs from receiving gifts or hospitality 7. Sky News │ Clampdown on dirty money in UK property 8. Channel 4 │ David Cameron: UK not a 'safe haven for corrupt money' 9. The Guardian │ Lobbying register covers fewer than one in 20 lobbyists – report 10. The Independent Comment │ Companies paying to escape prosecution for alleged corruption is not right - they must be properly punished Cover Image: Flickr/Creative Commons: LoadedAaron – Edited by TI-UK
#TRANSPARENCYMATTERS On 22 September, TI-UK launched the new #TransparencyMatters campaign. #TransparencyMatters is all about the importance of transparency in the fight against corruption and the effect it has on our everyday lives. Starting with lobbying, #TransparencyMatters will make the link between activities at the top and the wide-ranging issues that affect us all. From saving the bees to airport expansion, fracking to healthcare, local planning to airport expansion, we want to hear from anyone who has a story tell about why #TransparencyMatters in your life, profession or grassroots campaigning. Send us your stories and we’ll select the best and publish them on transparencymatters.transparency.org.uk To find out more about lobbying in the UK, you can read our report Accountable Influence: Bringing Lobbying Out of
the Shadows here.
Government Anti-Corruption Index Regional Results: Middle East and North Africa On 29 October, TI-UK launched the first publication of the second iteration of the Government Anti-Corruption Index. The report assesses 17 countries within the Middle East and North Africa – evaluating them on the risk of corruption within their defence and security institutions. Sixteen of the seventeen states assessed in the index receive either E or F grades, representing either a “very high” or “critical” risk of defence corruption. Only Tunisia performs better, although is still classed as “high risk”. The report also highlights that the well-documented evidence of weapons from a wide range of countries reaching terrorist groups such as ISIS, Houthi and ISIL.
TI-UK Programme News The Defence and Security Programme will continue to launch the second iteration of the Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index. The next publication in the series will focus on the Asia-Pacific region. In total, the Index will analyse the risk of corruption in more than 120 states’ defence and security institutions. Over the past three months the Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Programme has established several projects in the UK and abroad. These are a mixture of foundational research projects such as developing a typology of corruption vulnerabilities in health systems, and work with specific application such as developing a set of anti-corruption principles for the Latin American pharmaceutical industry. In November, the Business Integrity Programme is publishing a guide to responsible corporate political activities. The guide will be accompanied by an index ranking leading UK-listed companies on the transparency of their public reporting in this area. The index is the first in the UK to analyse how open companies are about their involvement in the political process.
News from the TI Movement From 2-4 September, the Movement met in Malaysia for the 16th International Anti-Corruption Summit (IACC). Najib Razak, the Malaysian Prime Minister is currently facing allegations that almost US $700 million from the 1Malaysia Development Bhd ended up in his personal accounts. TI Chair, Jose Ugaz made a strong speech on the matter, stating that the anti-corruption efforts made by Malaysia were not credible until the finance 1MDB was resolved. The Movement reiterated its stance that “Sepp Blatter should step down immediately”, while stating that the organisation is “not fit for purpose”. Criminal proceedings were opened against Blatter on September 26 by Swiss Authorities. This is the second time Transparency International has called for Sepp Blatter to step down since May. Corruption Watch, TI’s partner in South Africa, took part in a country wide march on 30 September demanding that the government take immediate steps to stop corruption in South Africa. The march was only the first phase of a mass campaign to fight corruption in South Africa. On 14 October, union members took to the streets to show support for the coalition Unite against Corruption. The Cameroonian whistle-blower Paul Eric Kingue has been freed after 7 years of unlawful imprisonment. TI Cameroon released a report last year backing his whistleblowing claims, while highlighting how his prosecution was completely flawed. Chair of TI, Jose Ugaz, called for Paul’s release just three weeks before it occurred.
Recent Publications Gold Rush: Investment Visas and Corrupt Capital Flows in the UK (October 2015) TI-UK highlights how the UK’s Tier 1 Investor scheme can be vulnerable as a tool to launder the proceeds of corruption from around the world. Read and Download here.
Government Anti-Corruption Index Regional Results: Middle East and North Africa (October 2015) The Defence and Security Programme assesses 17 countries within the Middle East and North Africa – evaluating them on the risk of corruption within their defence and security institutions, ranking them in the bands ‘A’ through ‘F’. Read and Download here.
Accountable Influence: Bringing Lobbying out of the Shadows (October 2015) TI-UK finds UK lobbying regulation not fit for purpose. The report marked the launch of the #TransparencyMatters campaign from Transparency International UK, The report highlight the importance of transparency in the fight against corruption and the effect it has on our everyday lives. Read and Download here.
Security Assistance, Corruption and Fragile Environments: Exploring the Case of Mali 2001-2012 (October 2015) The Defence and Security Programme uses the case of Mali to evaluate how security assistance programmes fare in environments where corruption can undermine state institutions. Read and Download here.
Dates for Your Diary Full details of all our events, including external speaking engagements, can be found at www.transparency.org.uk /events Time / Date: 18:00 09 December 2015 Location: Clifford Chance 10 Upper Bank Street E14 5JJ Details
*Please note that we have received a high volume of registrations for this event and are near capacity. If you have already registered but know that you cannot make it, please email jameela.raymond@transparency.org.uk to cancel your space.
External Events Peter van Veen, Director of the Business Integrity Programme will be speaking at the Compliance & Ethics International event, November 17-20 in London, UK. To see the agenda and list of 100+ speakers, please see the event website. James Sale, Manager of the Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Programme will be speaking at the 11th European Healthcare Fraud & Corruption Network Conference, November 6 in The Hague.
Support Transparency International UK Thank you for your continued support and partnership in the fight against corruption. To keep abreast of TI-UK’s perspective on developments through our news releases, blog posts and publications, please visit our website www.transparency.org.uk If you would like to become a member or supporter, or renew your existing membership, please contact Claire Prescott at claire.prescott@transparency.org.uk or on + 44 (0)20 7922 7906, or go online at http://www.transparency.org.uk/get-involved/join-us. We are particularly keen to recruit more Life Members, who make a donation of £1,000. Thank you for your support! Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to receive daily updates from TI-UK.
Join the 2400+ people calling on the UK Government to end corrupt money in UK property. Sign up here
Transparency International UK would like to thank the Garfield Weston Foundation for its recent donation towards our work. This support will enable us to tackle the most pressing corruption issues in the UK and bring about significant and lasting changes.