Daily Corruption Report: The CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday declared that corruption has taken over the entire country while in Botswana, reports say corruption is becoming increasingly complex. Sanusi declared that corruption practices recently uncovered in the banking industry are only symptomatic of what is taking place in other private and public sectors in Nigeria.
The CBN governor said this during an interactive session with businessmen at the 16th edition of the Nigerian Economic Summit taking place at the Transcop Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Your Daily Corruption News team— Wednesday 16 December 2009
Afghanistan: Afghan president Karzai to name new cabinet Dec. 19
Bloomberg (TI mention)
Albania: OSCE launches anti-corruption project for five Albanian towns
Balkans Business News
Botswana: Corruption in Botswana is becoming increasingly complex
Sunday Standard
Czech Republic: Czech government anti-corruption package in January – PM Fischer
Czech Happenings
Greece: Greece PM Papandreou sets out anti-corruption plan
BBC
Pakistan: Pakistan court mulls amnesty ruling
Aljazeera
Papa New Guinea: Concerns in PNG at possible link between shootings and Ombudsman’s work
Radio New Zealand International (TI mention)
United States: Six more indicted in growing Riverside County corruption scandal
Los Angeles Times
— News from the TI movement
He said: “I think it is important that we talk about the bank today and we are pointing fingers at bankers, but let us accept as Nigerians that what is happening in the banking industry today is simply symptomatic of what is happening across the country. The only reason people are hearing about bankers is because they are doing something about it.
“The corruption is in the petroleum industry; it is also in the power sector and some other areas. I have been accused of opening many battlefronts and this is the time for me to clarify something. I did not open any battlefront, the reality is that corruption has many battlefronts and when attacked from one front, all other fronts rise up against you.
“Dr. Ngozi Iweala, Managing Director of the world bank, today, made a very valid point. She said that 99.9 percent of Nigerians are honest and it is true. The problem is that the 0.1 percent are rich and powerful, and you will find them as powerful minority. They are in politics, in the civil service, in the banking industry and other private sectors.”
“We cannot fight corruption by fighting it only in the banks; we have to fight it everywhere. The corrupt bank MDs that were sacked, it was the examiners that brought the report, which I acted upon. I did not look at the bank’s books and I know people who are offered bribes and they refused to take it. We had the bank MD who went to NDIC and went down on his knees before a director and cried. If there is anything this examination has shown, it is that if we have honest people that are willing to work for this country. Nigeria will move forward.”
Corruption in Botswana is becoming increasingly complex
Even though Botswana continues to enjoy high reviews as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime continues to grapple with increasing instances of complex corruption cases. Incidents of money laundering, underhand land dealings, tax evasion and fraud are reportedly on the increase in Botswana.
“Corruption in Botswana is becoming increasingly complex and challenging.
The biggest challenge this year has been in the area of procurement, followed by land dealings and cheque fraud. There is also a growing trend of cheating in examinations,” DCEC Director, Rose Seretse, said on Monday.
So far, the DCEC has received 1805 corruption cases for 2009, of which 623 were classified for investigation. This is an increase from the previous year, when the DCEC received 1778 cases and classified 589 for investigation.
Between April and November this year, the DCEC submitted 85 cases to the Department of Public Prosecutions, and 92 other cases are already before the courts of law. The DCEC has made more arrests this year than in previous years, and Seretse attributed that to their concerted efforts in unions with other law enforcement agencies in the country, as well as liaison with regional and international anti corruption agencies.
“Our close partnership and collaboration with sister organizations has helped the DCEC in the fight against corruption, sharing resources and skills transfer,” said Seretse.
While the DCEC has offices in Francistown, Gaborone and Maun, there are indications that there is a need to open more offices around the country to improve efficiency.