9th May 2018
BOKO HARAM BEYOND THE HEADLINES: ANALYSES OF AFRICA’S ENDURING INSURGENCY
The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point has published a report that it says, in order to better understand Boko Haram now and in the future, and to challenge some key misconceptions about the insurgency and provides new analyses and insights based on many exclusive primary source materials and datasets, several authors with on-the-ground experience contribute to 6 areas that are increasingly important but under-researched about Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa.
https://ctc.usma.edu/boko-haram-beyond-headlines-analyses-africas-enduring-insurgency
PANASONIC TO PAY $280 MILLION TO END US CORRUPTION PROBE
RDC on 9th May reported that Panasonic will pay about $280 million to resolve US allegations that executives at its in-flight entertainment unit improperly hid payments to consultants in the Middle East and Asia, some of whom did little or no work for the company. The Panasonic parent company will pay $143 million in disgorgement to SEC, while Panasonic Avionics Corp. agreed to pay about $137 million in penalties to the DoJ for violations of the accounting provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
NON-PROLIFERATION EXPERTS IN US REACT TO TRUMP DECISION TO LEAVE JCPOA
On 9th May, experts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey expressed their concern with the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the “Iran nuclear deal”.
https://www.nonproliferation.org/experts/cns-in-the-media-2/
NO VICARIOUS LIABILITY FOR FRAUDULENT FINANCIAL ADVISER USING COMPANY ONLINE PORTAL
On 8th May, Allen & Overy published an article saying that no vicarious liability arises for a company where one of its agents perpetrates a fraud in the course of a recognisably independent business. This applies even where, to facilitate the fraud, the agent uses an online portal which he or she only has access to because they are an agent of the company – see Frederick & ors v Positive Solutions (Financial Services) Ltd in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.
PAST ALLEGED DISHONESTY CAN SHOW A REAL RISK OF DISSIPATION ON A FREEZING ORDER APPLICATION
On 3rd May, Clyde & Co reported on freezing orders in the light of Gulf Air v One Inflight, in which it was reported that one of the arguments raised by the defendants in this case was that, in order to establish a risk of dissipation in a freezing order application, it was not sufficient for the applicant to rely on (at this stage, unproven) allegations of fraud. That argument was rejected by the judge.
6 COMPANIES THAT HAVE A LOT TO FEAR FROM TRUMP’S IRAN SANCTIONS
On 9th May, Yahoo News carried an article saying what it thinks will happen to Airbus, Boeing, Total, General Electric, VW and the PSA Group (which makes Peugeot and Citroen cars) as a result of President Trump’s decision to withdraw from JCPOA.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/6-companies-lot-fear-trump-100155271.html?guccounter=1
THE “CZAR” OF THE ILLICIT TRAFFIC OF VENEZUELAN GOLD ARRESTED
The Curacao Chronicle on 9th May reported the arrest of the Venezuelan, Archak Guerrino Badrossian Liberatoscioli. Badrossian or “Archie” as he is known in the world of illegal extraction, is accused of illegal extraction of precious materials such as gold, coltan and diamond which he smuggled abroad from Venezuela.
http://curacaochronicle.com/judicial/update-czar-of-the-illicit-traffic-of-venezuelan-gold-arrested/
MALTA ‘IGNORING LIBYA OIL SMUGGLING’
EU Observer on 9th May reported that the Guardian had carried a story saying that Maltese authorities are ignoring calls by their Italian counterparts to tackle Libyan oil smuggling inside Maltese contiguous waters. Ship-to-ship transfers of the stolen oil is taking place some 19 km from Malta. The stolen goods is said to be fuelling further instability inside Libya. Italian authorities have spotted 12 acts of ship-to-ship smuggling in Maltese waters over the past 6 months.
https://euobserver.com/tickers/141780
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/09/malta-fuel-oil-smuggling-libya-daphne-project
LIBERIA: FIU CHALLENGES LEGISLATURE ON AML INITIATIVES
Front Page Africa on 9th May reported that the head of Liberia’s FIU has challenged the Legislature to support AML/CFT initiatives in Liberia. He was speaking on the “role of the legislature in combating illicit financial flows (IFF) in Liberia” before the plenary of the House of Representatives.
3 MEN ARRESTED IN DUBLIN IN CONNECTION WITH INTERNATIONAL FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES
Dublin Live on 9th May reported that the arrests were connected to a Spanish company which was deceived into transferring significant amounts to an Irish bank account being operated under a company name, allegedly by the arrested persons. The vast majority of this money has been recovered.
https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/three-men-arrested-dublin-connection-14637064
SWEDISH PM TO TESTIFY AS WITNESS IN BRAZIL FIGHTER JET CASE
Reuters reported on 9th May that Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Lofven, has been summoned to testify next month as a witness in a Brazilian corruption case involving the purchase of fighter jets by Brazil, the Stockholm District Court said. He will be asked in a Swedish court about his contacts with Brazil’s former presidents Dilma Rousseff and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva regarding the country’s purchase of Saab Gripen fighters in a deal struck 5 years ago.
https://lta.reuters.com/article/idLTAL8N1SG3UC?src=ilaw
IS THE EU FORCING VIETNAM TO ADDRESS ILLEGAL FISHING?
The Stimson Center on 9th May published an article saying that the threat of a bad report card from the EU has alarmed the more than 30,000 Vietnamese commercial traditional trawlers considered at risk of being deemed unco-operative in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. With EU officials expected to return to Vietnam for a reassessment of Vietnam’s violations, the fishing industry has been fast-tracking measures to correct its marine practices. In the process, Vietnam may become a model for ASEAN countries.
https://www.stimson.org/content/eu-‘-carding-forcing-vietnam-address-illegal-fishing?src=ilaw
TAIWAN: US$80.2 MILLION CONFISCATED FROM FRAUD RINGS ACCORDING TO MINISTRY
On 10th May, the Taipei Times reported that local courts last year confiscated nearly NT$2.4 billion from fraud rings, the Ministry of the Interior said. Since August 2016, when the National Police Agency established a unit dedicated to combating fraud, law enforcement agencies have arrested 6,389 fraud suspects, found 106 fraud call centres and confiscated a total of NT$337.9 million from fraud rings, the ministry said.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2018/05/10/2003692849?src=ilaw
MUBARAK-ERA MINISTER RETRIED ON CORRUPTION CHARGES
The Middle East Monitor on 9th May reported that an Egyptian criminal court has started the retrial of Mubarak-era Minister of the Interior Habib Al-Adly in a corruption case that dates back to the former president’s rule. In April last year, a court sentenced Adly to 3 years in prison for corruption and the embezzlement of public funds during his time in office. He served as Interior Minister for 14 years, during which the ministry was criticised repeatedly by human rights activists for police brutality and the torture of suspects. In January a court of appeal ordered a retrial.
CHINA ACCOUNTS FOR 90% OF RUSSIAN OVERSEAS E-COMMERCE TRADE,
Postal Technology reported on 9th May that research by international delivery expert ParcelHero has revealed that China now accounts for 90% of Russia’s $5.1 billion overseas e-commerce trade, with the entire EU winning just 4% of cross border parcels.
http://www.postalandparceltechnologyinternational.com/news.php?NewsID=90945
UK AMENDS DETAILS OF 1 ENTRY ON CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC SANCTIONS LIST
On 9th May, HM Treasury published a Notice detailing changes to the details of the entry for Eugene BARRET NGAIKOSSET.
CHINA’S WAR ON ONLINE GAMBLING CONTINUES TO RAMP UP
Calvin Ayre on 9th May reported that the authorities are apparently keen on sending an unmistakable message ahead of next month’s FIFA World Cup tournament in Russia.
https://calvinayre.com/2018/05/09/business/china-continuous-crackdown-online-gambling/
NEW REPORT SHOWS MORE PEOPLE BUYING ILLEGAL DRUGS ONLINE
OCCRP on 9th May reported that an increasing amount of people are ordering drugs over the Dark Web, according to a Global Drug Survey report. Around 10% of respondents said they had used darknet markets, which can only be accessed with browsers that mask IP addresses, for drug purchases in the past year. Finland has the highest percentage of people using the dark web to purchase drugs, with over 45%. England, the US and Australia are the runners-up, with 24%, 18% and 17%, respectively.
ILLEGAL ANIMAL MEDICINES A GLOBAL CONCERN, SAYS REPORT
Scoop in New Zealand on 8th May reported that a report on illegal veterinary medicines estimates that annual global losses to legitimate companies are between US$1 billion to $2 billion and warns of a growing black market for pet drugs. Illegal veterinary medicines are found in both developed and developing countries and can have adverse effects on human food safety and security, antimicrobial resistance, as well as the control of animal-borne disease, articulates the report by global animal medicines association, HealthforAnimals. These medicines include counterfeit, falsified and unregistered products, and unapproved parallel imports.
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