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Waiving immunity lets those in power be held to account

In late March, a French court ordered an investigation into alleged abuses of power by IMF chief Christine Lagarde during her time as a French finance minister and her involvement in the payment of compensation to businessman Bernard Tapie. Investigators opened an inquiry into possible charges of “complicity to embezzlement of public funds” and “complicity […]

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Corruption in post-revolution Yemen – a personal perspective

Yemenis of all stripes took to the streets in early 2011 demanding change, especially not to let corruption continue unabated. In November 2011, the protestors succeeded in ousting Ali Abdullah Saleh,Yemen’s president for over 30 years, and ushering in a new era of democratic hope. Since then, governmental agencies, parliamentary committees, media associations, NGOs and […]

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Czech political scandal shows a strengthening of the rule of law

When police raided 31 homes in the Czech Republic last week, seized $7.8 million and arrested five people including the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, it shocked most people. This was not only because of the crimes themselves, as Radim Bureš of Transparency International Czech Republic explains, but because the public prosecutors had carried out […]

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Whistleblowing and leaking: pushing the limits of accountability

The Guardian newspaper has been publishing reports about the US Government’s vast data surveillance operations based on leaks of classified information from someone with top secret clearances. Mark Worth, Whistleblower Programme Director, discusses the role of the leaker in holding governments to account. Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old computer expert, is fast becoming a household name. […]

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Abuse of state advertising for political ends in Slovakia

Historically, journalists have been some of the strongest partners in the fight against corruption. Their investigative work as well as the space they give to voices of anti-corruption NGOs has contributed to greater pressure on government leaders to tighten regulations and take a public stand for more transparency and accountability. But in this difficult economic […]

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African Renaissance comes through the reinforcement of institutions

The African Union (AU) celebrates its 50th anniversary on 25 May with an extraordinary summit in Addis Ababa, under the theme “Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance”. The AU as it has been known since 2002 is the successor to the Organization of African Unity founded (OAU) on 25 May 1963 when 32 recently independent African countries […]

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Les héros de la lutte contre la corruption : une interview avec Gregory Ngbwa Mintsa

En décembre 2008, le citoyen gabonais Gregory Ngbwa Mintsa a courageusement pris position contre la corruption. Avec Transparence International France, il a déposé une plainte qui dénonçait le détournement présumé de fonds publics au Gabon. Cela fait partie des Biens Mal Acquis, une enquête sur plusieurs présidents africains soupçonnés de voler des fonds publics à grande […]

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No defence for corruption in defence procurement

On 15 May Transparency International India invited senior figures in the defence establishment, including Defence Minister A.K. Antony, senior oversight officers from both state-owned and private defence companies, and experts from civil society to discuss the issue of corruption in defence procurement. There have been too many scandals in procurement – the AgustaWestland helicopter mess […]

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Anti-corruption heroes: an interview with Gregory Ngbwa Mintsa

In December 2008, Gabonese citizen Gregory Ngbwa Mintsa took a brave stand against corruption. Together with Transparency International France, he filed a legal complaint denouncing the alleged embezzlement of public funds in Gabon. This was part of the Biens Mal Acquis case, an investigation into several African presidents suspected of stealing public assets on a […]

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Time to wake up Trinidad & Tobago: the Jack Warner affair

Jack Warner is a big name in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and in world football. He has been in politics and government for the past five years, most recently as Minister of National Security, and served on the executive committee of FIFA (world football’s governing body) and as head of the Americas football federation (known as […]

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