Day: February 20, 2020

On 20 February, the Buenos Aires Times reported that a secure Internet site designed to facilitate anonymous complaints of corruption and damage to the environment in Latin America has been launched by 3 NGO.  The website was created by 2 civil society groups – Chile’s Ciudadania Inteligente and Proyecto PODER which is based in the US – and Spain’s International Baltasar Garzon Foundation.

https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/latin-america/website-for-latin-american-whistleblowers-launched.phtml

The secure website is at –

http://latamleaks.lat/

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On 20 February, a Notice from HM Treasury advised of an amendment to the entry relating to Abdul HAQ following EU Regulation 2020/218/EU.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/867272/Notice_ISIL_2020_218_Correction.pdf

If you’d like me buy that (badly needed new laptop or, even, better a new desktop to replace the one now 5,000 miles away – https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KoIvM842y

On 20 February, OFAC added 5 new names of individuals to its Iran sanctions lists.  Those named are 5 members of Iran’s Guardian Council and its Elections Supervision Committee, who are appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader or his appointees.  The Guardian Council, which is responsible for “vetting” candidates, uses its power to disqualify Iranians from competing in elections – and the US alleges that the power was used to deprive the Iranian people of free and fair elections by blocking candidates that do not mirror the views of the Supreme Leader.

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20200220.aspx

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm912

If you’d like me buy that (badly needed new laptop or, even, better a new desktop to replace the one now 5,000 miles away – https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KoIvM842y

 

A BBC World Service radio documentary broadcast on 19 February poses this question, an interesting piece, it says that, as the UK is attempting to make multiple trade deals following Brexit – some such negotiations between countries have taken years.  It comments on the breakdown of the WTO, lack of trust between countries, the “special cases” and need to satisfy domestic demands.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csythd

On 20 February, The Times carried an article claiming that, according to World Bank economists, billions of pounds of aid meant for the most dependent nations ends up in tax havens.  A study, “Elite Capture of Foreign Aid”, tracked aid payments to 22 nations and found that as much as a sixth flowed into havens and that the “leakage” was worst in the most dependent countries, where aid accounts for as much as 3% of GDP.  The report found that that aid disbursements to highly aid-dependent countries coincide with sharp increases in bank deposits in offshore financial centres known for bank secrecy and private wealth management.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/billions-of-foreign-aid-disappears-into-tax-havens-5p0chghct

The report is at –

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/493201582052636710/pdf/Elite-Capture-of-Foreign-Aid-Evidence-from-Offshore-Bank-Accounts.pdf

On 19 February, Lloyds List reported that now-sanctioned Rosneft Trading had taken over most of the marketing of Venezuelan crude over the last 9 months with oil supplied in return for loan repayments, and subsequent sales brokered with India and China.  The article reports on what has been done to hide or disguise shipments, and says that Rosneft and PdVSA had established hub and spoke operations via Malaysia and Singapore to distribute crude, and briefly had floating storage at anchorage off Lome, in West Africa, over January which was then transferred to China-bound very large crude carriers.  It says that vessels chartered by Rosneft have been borrowing the subterfuge shipping tactics that Iranian sellers and buyers use to disguise the destination and origin of sanctioned crude, masking conventional tanker-tracking using AIS technology.

https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1131092/Venezuela-crude-exports-going-dark-as-US-imposes-sanctions-on-Rosneft

A new report from the University of Chicago highlights public sector corruption in the US.  It reports that there were 19,634 public corruption convictions across the US over the past decade with 695 public official, federal employees and government contractors convicted in 2018 alone.

https://www.statista.com/chart/20877/federal-corruption-convictions-per-10000-inhabitants

The report is at –

https://pols.uic.edu/chicago-politics/anti-corruption-reports/

On 18 February, Gowling WLG published an article about a Bill introduced into parliament on 5 February which proposes mandatory modern slavery disclosure by companies in Canada or doing business in Canada, and an amendment to the Customs Tariff to prohibit the importation of forced labour and child labour-made goods.  It points out, perhaps surprisingly, that Canada currently has no modern slavery disclosure legislation. Nor is there any general restriction on the importation into Canada of goods produced by forced or child labour — or any law barring the procurement by Canadian governments of goods or services produced by forced or child labour.  The new Bill replaces one lost in 2019 when a General Election was called.

https://gowlingwlg.com/en/insights-resources/articles/2020/modern-slavery-legislation-canadian-parliament/

On 19 February, the Wall Street Journal reported that the ex-President has been mentioned in the case against Emilio Lozoya, the former head of state-run oil company Petróleos Mexicanos, recently arrested in Spain and accused of receiving millions of dollars in bribes from Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht SA and Mexican steelmaker Altos Hornos de México SAB.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/mexico-is-investigating-ex-president-enrique-pena-nieto-top-official-says-11582152342