Corruption is always relevant – Shine a light on a few cases from this week.

“It’s interesting that these themes of crime and political corruption are always relevant” – Martin Scorsese

In this last week there been big corruption cases that have unfolded in the media. The biggest ones are FIFA officials and that former PM of Italy has been sentenced to jail for three years. Both of those cases are well addressed by all major media. So I don’t need to blast them. This here is more or less known. Therefore I write my peace quickly because well, corruption has to be put a lid on. If not you have to address it in the sunshine and let those who steal money from the common man get time to send them to the law and get a just verdict. The pursuit for quick money will not stop. But as long as there are money and an opportunity for some to earn an extra shilling for very little work and make some money or get kickbacks for buying something while working for the government. Well, we as a public can’t accept that. So here are cases all from the mountains of Norway to the delta of Nigeria unto the public perception on road building in Peru. Enjoy!

Earlier this week in Norway a four former executives of the fertilizer company Yara was sentenced and judged in a corruption case. The time they will spend in jail is from 6 months to 3 years depending on how involved the executive was. This case is involving the corruption accusations that the company bribed officials in India and Libya (Økokrim, 2015).

In the U.S. on the 10^th of July the former Governor of Virgina Robert F. McDonnell stood trial in court for his a weird connection with a Richmond business man. That the former governor helped the businessman while getting paid to clear his own monies issues. He was already gotten to court in September last year and sentenced to 2 years in jail (Zapotosky, 2015).

In China the Communist Party continues to charge people on corruption. The latest man who has allegedly been corrupt is Patrick Liu a senior executive in the internet company of AliBaba. He isn’t charged for the actions he has done as an executive at AliBaba, but where he used to when he worked at the Social Network site Tencent (SkyNews, 2015).

In the Netherlands there been indicted six civil servants from the police department and defense ministry for taking bribes while purchasing vehicles and trucks for the representative ministry and department. The bribes came as kickbacks and foreign trips on the supplier’s paycheck. The whole total of suspects in this case is 47. So there will be more information to come during the next months (DutchNews, 2015).

In Malawi the President Mutharika and his personal aide Ben Phiri are central in a huge corruption case. This case involves the statehouse deals between Central Medical Stores Trust and the contract valued at MK1.4 Billion to Malawi Pharmacy Limited (Kangwele, 2015).

In Nigeria the former leader of the Head of Service of the Federation (HOS) Mr. Steven Oronsaye was recently charged for involvement in an N2.1bn graft case while being the head of the civil service. A part of the money (N1.2bn) that was siphoned away from the civil service was sent through the company of Global Services Limited and 2 persons connected to the company were also in court. It is also alleged that that Oronsaye siphoned N6.2bn from the pension fund through fake contracts and supplies that never got delivered to the civil service. They will again go to court on Monday the 13^th of July in the meanwhile they are detained (Ejike-Abuja, 2015).

In Peru meanwhile the government heads are expected to have been corrupted while building the highway between Peru and Brasil. 71% of people believe corruption was involved while building the Interoceanic highway. The three involved officials are Alejandro Toledo and Alan Garcia. Even President Ollanta Humala is expected to corrupt as well over the building of the road (Ojeda, 2015).

Hope you got something out of it. It’s a worldwide phenomenon. Greed doesn’t sleep it just has many forms. And a quick buck is also something a person wishes. Peace.

Reference:

DutchNews – ‘Civil servants accused of corruption in vehicle purchase case’ (10.07.2015) link: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2015/07/civil-servants-accused-of-corruption-in-vehicle-purchase-case/

Eijke-Abuja, Sunday – ‘EFCC files 24-count corruption charges against ex-Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye, 2 others’ (07.10.2015) link: http://tribuneonlineng.com/efcc-files-24-count-corruption-charges-against-ex-head-service-steve-oronsaye-2-others

Kangwele, Mike J. – ‘Mutharika, Ben Phiri in a 1.4bn. corruption scandal’ (10.07.2015) link: http://malawi24.com/2015/07/10/mutharika-ben-phiri-in-a-k1-4bn-corruption-scandal/

Ojeda, Hillary – ‘Pulso Perú: 71% believe Interoceanic Highway construction was corrupt’ (10.07.2015) link: http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-pulso-peru-survey-71-believe-construction-of-interoceanic-highway-was-corrupt-106983

SkyNews – ‘Alibaba Executive Held Over Corruption Claims’ (10.07.2015) link: http://news.sky.com/story/1516748/alibaba-executive-held-over-corruption-claims

Økokrim – ‘  Fire tidligere toppledere dømt i Yara-saken’ (07.07.2015) link: http://www.okokrim.no/fire-tidligere-toppledere-doemt-i-yara-saken

 

Zapotosky, Matt – ‘Ex-Va. governor McDonnell loses appeal of corruption convictions’ (10.07.2015) link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/appeals-court-affirms-bob-mcdonnells-convictions/2015/07/10/144da937-66de-4644-816c-0bcea4803401_story.html

Pending corruption cases and other sagas

Today I will go through a bunch of corruption cases like I have done before. From the executive of Jotun Mr. Gleditsch who doesn’t see bribes of costumes officers as corruption. A brother like me wonders what he then sees as corrupt behavior. Yara has cases with corruption in Libya and India. The executive Milka of Value Packaging Company in Gurajat in Kutch, the leader is accused and arrested for corruption. In Texas Mr. Witt is in a corruption case because of his former employer Royal Shell Nigeria and the Texan court has cases pending. Former Detroit Major Kilpatrick has 23 counts in his belt by now. In the kingdom of Leshoto a lot of high profile cases against former ministers some are postponed and we’re allowed to ask questions about that behavior!

Odd Gleditsch Jr. who took over the business after his father, the paintmaking business in Sandefjord is quoting for saying this to the Norwegian Brodcasting Company (NRK):

“I would not call it corruption if you pay a costumes officer 50 dollars to move your documents upfront in the pile so that the raw materials get quicker out of the harbor” (Veum, 2014). While Odd doesn’t see anything wrong with that, I do, because if you don’t have guidelines and rules to codes of conduct anywhere then it’s hard to know if you’re either right or wrong, but I have a feeling that Mr. Gleditsch Jr. tried to defend his actions.

Well, four former Yara International AS Executives has been charged with corruption after $8m bribing in Libya and India. Public Prosecuter Marianne Djupesland: “The indictment regards very serious acts of corruption, and the police believe we can prove that these people were involved. But it’s up to the courts to make a decision on their guilt”. The for ones accused of corruption are Thorleif Enger, Tor Holba, Daniel Clauw and Kendrick Taylor Wallace. Mr. Wallace has been accused to paid $5m to a Libyan minister in 2007. This was a deal that was between Yara and Libyan National Oil Corporation, and accepted by Mr. Enger, Mr Holb and Mr. Clauw. The executive of Jørgen Ole Halsestad of Yara now has stated: “For Yara as a company, this has been a very serious case, and the indictments underline its gravity” (Hovland, 2014).

In India Mr. Sunil Rajendra Milka a former partner in the Value Packaging Company has been arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Gurajat. He was arrested in the village of Galdapar near Gandihidam in Kutch. He was at the office of the Value Packaging Company when they apprehended him. The case is about misusing the ownership of the company in his wife’s name and also allocation of land (Indian Express, 2014). This case is still to be concluded.

In Texas there is still an ongoing case that has been on since 2007 between former oil-engineer Mr. Robert Witt, his former Employer Royal Shell Nigeria Company for the bribing of Nigerian officials. Mr. Witt has complied to the Texan courts that Royal Shell has tried to destroy his reputation while Shell Senior Managers had paid Nigerian contractors who is working for Nigerian officials (Alike, 2014).

In Detroit former Mayor Kilpatrick has been found guilty on 23 counts of corruption and his contractor Bobby Ferguson found guilty of 9 crimes (Detroit News, 2014).

In Lesotho the former finance minister Timothy Thahane been accused of embezzeling R24m from farming projects. This case has been postponed to the extent that High Court Justice Tseliso Monaphathi commented: “It now seems to be the tradition to postpone these high-profile cases … this should not be tolerated. It affects the reputation of this court and all the courts in this country”. Other high profile cases that have been postponed the former deputy prime ministry Mothetjoa Metsing has been accused of embezzling R50m from road projects. Also former Resources minister Monyane Moleleki made licenses for the diamond industry. He has claimed to be too ill to go to court (Jordan, 2014).

My 2 Cents:

This has to make your mind wonder. If it doesn’t I don’t know how to find cases that makes your mind bubbly. Nevertheless, its international cases from Norway to Lesotho, the thing is that we have to work against on this globe. Because everybody want a quick buck and earn it without doing real work. Or getting an extra meal as a civil servant or percentage as a seller as an employer in a new field for your business. Peace.

Links:

Alike, Ejiofor – ‘Shell Nigeria Case to Set Legal Precedent in US Corruption Cases’ (10.12.2014) Link: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/shell-nigeria-case-to-set-legal-precedent-in-us-corruption-cases/196309/

Detroit News – ‘The Detroit City Hall corruption case’ (13.12.2014) Link: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/99999999/METRO/100623001

Indian Expresss – ‘Corruption case against Pradeep Sharma: Value Packaging’s Milak arrested’ (09.12.2014) Link: http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/corruption-case-against-pradeep-sharma-value-packagings-milak-arrested/#sthash.1V2ZecXX.dpuf

Jordan, Michael J. – ‘Lesotho wrestles with corruption’ (12.12.2014) Link: http://mg.co.za/article/2014-12-11-lesotho-wrestles-with-corruption

Hovland, Kjell Malkenes – ‘Four Former Yara Executives Indicted for Corruption’ (17.01.2014) Link: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303465004579326260218896326

Veum, Erik and Grymer, Torunn – ‘Hadde vi ikke betalt bestikkelser ville vi ikke fått kontraktene’ (13.12.2014) Link: http://www.nrk.no/norge/_-hadde-vi-ikke-betalt-bestikkelser-ville-vi-ikke-fatt-kontraktene-1.12100222