Tag Archives: corruption

Kyrgyz Prosecutor investigates ex-ministers

MAY 31 2017 (The Bulletin) — Former Kyrgyz PM Igor Chudinov and former economy minister Akylbek Japarov are being investigated for corruption, media reported quoting officials. Both men are currently MPs for the Bir Bol party which is part of the ruling coalition. The Kyrgyz Prosecutor and the National Security Committee said that Mr Chudinov, PM in 2007-9, and Mr Japarov were under investigation for corruption linked to a $2.9m fund for agricultural development in 2009.

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(News report from Issue No. 331, published on June 5 2017)

CoE investigates Azerbaijan bribe incident

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MAY 31 2017 (The Bulletin) — The Council of Europe launched an investigation into allegations that Azerbaijan bribed some members of the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) into rejecting a report that was critical of it. Pressure has been building on the Council of Europe to launch an investigation after allegations surfaced that Italian Luca Volonte had taken a 2.5m euro bribe. Mr Volonta has denied the allegations.

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(News report from Issue No. 331, published on June 5 2017)

Armenia sets up anti-corruption unit

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MAY 25 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Armenia’s government has set up a new anti-corruption unit, media reported, designed to screen high- ranking officials taking jobs that might present a conflict of interest. Anti-corruption measures have been increased across the globe after a string of highly public leaks showed just how strong the links were between corruption and various officials in governments worldwide.

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(News report from Issue No. 330, published on May 28 2017)

Three former executives at Georgia’s Poti Port given prison sentences for corruption

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TBILISI, MAY 23 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Three former executives of the Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA), which used to own Poti Port in Georgia, were given prison sentences in Ras Al Khaimah, part of the UAE, for corruption.

Former RAKIA CEO Khater Massaad and Gela Mikadze and George Janashia, who also used to work for RAKIA in Georgia, were found guilty in absentia of fraud by a judge over a scam they concocted in 2010/11. They persuaded Poti Port, then 100% owned by RAKIA, to enter a joint-venture with the previously unknown Raystar Trade LLP.

The judge said that Mikadze and Janashia were the owners of Raystar and that as soon as a payment was made to it by Poti Port the company was closed down, effectively allowing the three men to steal $17.2m.

Media said that Massaad is currently in Jeddah, where he has been arrested, and is waiting extradition. Mikadze is reportedly in Switzerland and Janashia is allegedly in Georgia. It is not clear if they have also been arrested.

In 2011, RAKIA sold its stake in Poti Port. Poti Port, on the Black Sea, is considered an important strategic site by the government.

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(News report from Issue No. 330, published on May 28 2017)

Construction continues at bribe-hit Kazakh glass plant

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ALMATY, MAY 24 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Construction work on a glass sheet factory in southern Kazakhstan is continuing despite it being the focus of a corruption scandal earlier this year that lead to the arrest of former Kazakh economy minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev.

Stewart Engineers, the US company involved in building the Orda Glass plant in the Kyzlorda region, said a deal had been signed with Chinese firm Triumph Group to complete construction work. Bishimbayev was arrested in January and accused of taking a $2m bribe for handing out a contract linked to the glass factory project.

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(News report from Issue No. 330, published on May 28 2017)

Armenian police arrests checkpoint chief

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MAY 26 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Police in Armenia arrested the head of a border checkpoint for taking bribes, media reported. The arrest is a reminder that corruption is still an issue at border checkpoints in Armenia. Reports did not name the arrested man or which border post he worked at. They did say that he was taking bribes in exchange for a dropping import tax.

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(News report from Issue No. 330, published on May 28 2017)

Turkmenistan’s anti-corruption drive speeds up

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MAY 19 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkmenistan is preparing a new draft law on combating corruption, continuing an anti-graft drive that has left onlookers wondering the motivation behind it. Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has said that the anti-corruption campaign is aimed at defending ordinary people’s rights but analysts have said it may be a tool to distract from the economic downturn, linked to a drop in commodity prices, and also a way to unseat ministers and officials that are considered to be too powerful.

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(News report from Issue No. 329, published on May 20 2017)

Kyrgyz court sentences Bakiev associate

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MAY 17 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — A court in Kyrgyzstan handed Valeri Belokon, the Latvian businessman who part-owns Blackpool Football Club, an in-absentia sentence of 20- years for various money laundering and financial crime offences, media reported. Belokon was an associate of Maksim Bakiyev, the son of former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Mr Bakiyev was overthrown in 2010 and now lives in exile in Belarus. He and his son were widely perceived to be corrupt. Blackpool FC suspended Belokon from its board of directors this year over money laundering concerns

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(News report from Issue No. 329, published on May 20 2017)

British investigators win right to study ENRC document

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MAY 10 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — British fraud investigators have forced ENRC, now called Eurasian Resources Group, to hand over documents that it has said are important evidence into allegations of corruption and fraud that it is investigating surrounding the company that was previously listed on the London Stock Exchange. Prosecutors have been looking into alleged corruption at ENRC since 2013.

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(News report from Issue No. 328, published on May 12 2017)

Corruption allegations linked to Azerbaijan forces Maltese PM to call snap election

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MAY 2 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Malta’s PM, Joseph Muscat, called a parliamentary election, after failing to shrug off allegations of corruption linked to deals with Azerbaijan.

For Azerbaijan, the allegations again suggest that President Ilham Aliyev is presiding over an administration comfortable with paying bribes and laundering money. Azerbaijani officials have either ignored or denied the allegations.

The media in Malta has alleged various corrupt schemes involving offshore companies linked to senior officials in Malta and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s main link to Malta is through a power station it is paying to build. In return, the power station has agreed to buy all its gas from Azerbaijan’s state-owned Socar. Malta-registered entities also own shares in Azerbaijani companies.

These corruption allegations are just the latest levied at Mr Aliyev and senior Azerbaijani officials.

This year the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe launched an investigation into alleged payments of 2.4m euros by Azerbaijan to Italian lawmaker Luce Volonte in return for help derailing attempts to criticise a human rights crackdown.

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(News report from Issue No. 327, published on May 5 2017)