June 2023 Issue of The Integrity Bulletin News Magazine

Say No to Corruption

The Integrity Bulletin

June2023

High-levelopening,speakers(fromrighttole):PaulusNoa,SADCAnti-CorruptionCommittee;Pascoal Joaquim,ViceChairperson,AfricanUnionAdvisoryBoardagainstCorruption;MarcyLopes,Ministerof JusticeandHumanRights;ZahiraVirani,UnitedNationsResidentCoordinatorinAngola;JaneMarie Ongolo,RegionalRepresentative,UNODCROSAF Photo:UNODC

An Editorial Initiative of Raman Media Network (RMN)

Editor:RakeshRaman

Main Stories in This Issue

CorruptionResearch

DelhiGovernmentCorruption

Surveyfor2023CorruptionResearchProject Crime,Corruption,andImpunityinIndia

GrandCorruption

IndianPoliticianFacesSextortionAllegations MediaReportsonCorruptioninIndia

CorruptionReports

DelhiBureaucracyControltoKejriwalGovt OnlyCorruptPoliticiansWillSupportKejriwal

CorruptionData

CorruptionCaseofKarnatakaCongressLeader DatatoImproveCorruptionMeasurement

CorruptionPrevention

ElectricitySubsidyFraudReportedinDelhi ShortStoriesofCorruptionintheWorld

U.S.SanctionsonSyrianFinancialFacilitators FightAgainstCorruptioninSouthernAfrica

Conference on Fight Against Corruption in Southern Africa

Corruption touches everyregionoftheglobe,includingcountriesbelongingtotheSouthern AfricanDevelopmentCommunity(SADC).

“Corruption threatens our security. It drives organized crime. It corrodes our economy. It crushes opportunities for development. And it traps people in cycles of inequality and poverty,” said UNODCExecutiveDirectorGhadaWalyinhermessageonAnti-CorruptionDay lastyear.

High-levelopening,speakers(fromrighttole):PaulusNoa,SADCAnti-CorruptionCommittee;Pascoal Joaquim,ViceChairperson,AfricanUnionAdvisoryBoardagainstCorruption;MarcyLopes,Ministerof JusticeandHumanRights;ZahiraVirani,UnitedNationsResidentCoordinatorinAngola;JaneMarie Ongolo,RegionalRepresentative,UNODCROSAF.Photo:UNODC

Corruptiontoucheseveryregionoftheglobe,includingcountries*belongingtotheSouthern African Development Community (SADC). By hindering sustainable development and divertingresourcesmeantforthemostvulnerable,corruptionposesasignificantthreattothe stabilityandsecurityoftheSADCregion.

The UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) can be a powerful tool in fighting back against corruption. As the onlylegallybinding,universalanti-corruptioninstrument,UNCAC bolstersinternationalcooperationintracking,investigating,andprosecutingcorruption.

Against this backdrop, around 100 high-level officials, experts, and civil society representatives from members of SADC gatheredearlyJuneinAngolatodevelopandagree onaregionalroadmapfortangibleanti-corruptionactionintwopriorityareas.

PriorityOne:Cross-regionalCooperation

Corruption oen transcends national boundaries, and coordinated efforts are needed to overcome shared challenges in detecting, investigating and prosecuting corruption cases. Resource constraints, lack of skilled personnel, and misalignment between UNCAC and nationallawsoncorruption,forinstance,canhinderabilitiestoaddresscorruption.

Enhancing information sharing and mutual legal assistance, building capacities by training lawenforcementagencies,andincreasingfinancialandhumanresourcesandstrongpolitical willarekeytoimprovenationalandregionalanti-corruptioncoordination.

Opening the high-level event, Marcy Lopes,MinisterofJusticeandHumanRightsofAngola, called corruption an evil that must be combated by all. He also highlighted that it is an ongoingbattletoensuredevelopmentandefficientpublicservices.

PriorityTwo:PublicProcurement

Public procurement, or the purchase of goods, services, and works by governments or state-owned enterprises, is a process particularly vulnerable to corruption. Through public procurementcorruption,publicauthoritiescansiphonawayfundsmeantforpublicservices, harming especially the vulnerable.Everydollarlosttocorruptioninpublicprocurementisa dollarthatcouldhavebeeninvestedinschools,hospitals,orinfrastructure.

Strong oversightbodies,stringentanti-corruptionlaws,accountabilityandenhancedprivate sectorcompliancecanensureresourcesreachqualifiedbeneficiaries.

Zahira Virani, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Angola, emphasized that fighting corruptionisessentialtoensureinvestmentintoservicesandinfrastructureforthebenefitof the whole of society. The goal must be equal and sustainable development efforts without leavinganyonebehind

StrengtheningtheimplementationoftheUnitedNationsConventionagainstCorruption atregionallevels

The conference is following the regional approach to fast-track the implementation of the UnitedNationsConventionagainstCorruption(UNCAC).Thisapproachhasbeensuccessfully

implementedbyUNODCacrosstheworldsince2017andwasrecognizedbyStatesPartiesto theConventionthroughtheadoptionoftheresolution9/4inDecember2021.

TheconferenceoncombatingcorruptioninSouthernAfricaconcludedwiththeagreementon a commonroadmapofanti-corruptionactivitiestoguidecollectiveanti-corruptionactivities ofSADCcountriesintheyearstocome

* The SADC member states are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa,UnitedRepublicofTanzania,ZambiaandZimbabwe.

How Supreme Court Erred in Giving Delhi Bureaucracy Control to “Corrupt” Kejriwal Govt

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court neglected or failed to take into consideration all these corruptionissuesbeforepassingitsjudgmentinfavouroftheKejriwalgovernment.

Thegovernmentofprimeminister(PM)NarendraModihastakenanothersteptointerferein theworkofDelhiGovernmentheadedbychiefminister(CM)ArvindKejriwal.

In order to oppose a Supreme Court orderofMay11thatgaveDelhibureaucracycontrolto the Kejriwal government, the Modi government promulgated an ordinance on May 19 to createaNationalCapitalCivilServiceAuthority.

The new Authority will have the power to recommend the transfers and postings of bureaucratsincludingallGroupAofficersandofficersofDANICS(Delhi,Andaman&Nicobar, Lakshadweep,DamanandDiuandDadraandNagarHaveliCivilServices)servinginDelhi.

Although the Supreme Court has given its order in favor of the elected government, the confusion persists. Earlier, the Government of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021 had stated that the term “government” in Delhi means the Lt. Governor (LG) of Delhi and the elected government of Kejriwal cannot take any decision independently.

In other words, the Kejriwal government will have to take LGʼs consent before taking any executive action. The new Supreme Court order of May 11 has conflict with the NCT law passedin2021.

Since the Supreme Court and the Kejriwal government overlooked the NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021, the new amendment is aimed to stop Kejriwal from misusing his

authority against the bureaucrats - particularly those bureaucrats who are handling the allegedcrimeandcorruptioncasesofKejriwalandhiscolleagues.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, will divesttheKejriwalgovernmentofthearbitrarypowersthatKejriwalmayusetotakerevenge on bureaucrats who are probing different corruption cases of Kejriwal andpoliticiansinhis AamAadmiParty(AAP).

These corruption cases include Delhi liquor scandal, school construction scam, money laundering cases, and misappropriation of huge public money by Kejriwal on his house renovation.

Along with Kejriwal, the other AAP politicians whose names appear in the investigating reports of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate are SatyendarJain,ManishSisodia,SanjaySingh,andRaghavChadha.

It is expected that a woman politician in AAP who loudly spreadsliesintheso-calledpress conferences attended by naive journalists will soon be called for interrogation by the law-enforcementagencies.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court neglected or failed to take into consideration all these corruptionissuesbeforepassingitsjudgmentinfavouroftheKejriwalgovernment.

DelhiChiefMinister(CM)ArvindKejriwalwithDelhiLt.Governor(LG)VinaiKumarSaxenaonMay27, 2022.Photo:LGOffice(filephoto)

TheSupremeCourtshouldalsofindouthowKejriwalandhiscolleaguesaregettingvindictive againstthebureaucratswhoareinvestigatingtheircrimeandcorruptioncases.Forexample, itisallegedthattheofficerwhowasprobingtheKejriwalhouserenovationcasewasdivested ofhisdutiesbytheKejriwalgovernment.

Theofficerhasalsoallegedthathisofficeroomwasransackedandthedocumentspertaining to Kejriwalʼs house renovation are missing. If this is true, then the Supreme Court should know before its decisions that the Delhi Government is being run by criminals who are hell-benttohoodwinkthevotersandgrabpowerbyhookorbycrook.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the central (Modi) government has filed a petition in the SupremeCourtseekingareviewofitsverdictthatgrantedcontrolovertransfersandpostings of bureaucrats to the Kejriwal government. Since most Supreme Court judges lack domain knowledge,theytakecasualdecisionswhichcannotbechallenged.Thesituationisworsein thehighcourtsandlowercourtsofIndia.

If you evaluate the Supreme Court judgments through an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based expert system, you will find that almost all the judgments or delays are either wrong or biased. It is once again visible in the standalone decision that the Supreme Court took in favouroftheKejriwalgovernment.

The new NationalCapitalCivilServiceAuthoritywillbeheadedbyDelhiCMandwillinclude the chief secretary and the principal secretary (Home). The Authority will takedecisionsby themajorityofvotesofthememberspresentintheAuthoritymeetings.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Syrian Financial Facilitators

U.S.-designated Hizballah has also used these exchange companies to transfer money from otherregionalcountriestoSyria.

The United States announced on May 30 that it is designating under CaesarActauthorities two Syrian money service businesses and affiliated three individuals that provide financial supporttotheAssadregime

According to the U.S. DepartmentofState,thesetwoDamascus-basedexchangecompanies have facilitated millions of dollars intransferssince2021toaccountsattheUS-designated Central Bank of Syria to benefit the Assad regime. U.S.-designatedHizballahhasalsoused these exchange companies to transfer money from other regional countries to Syria.These actionsbuildonthebroadereffortstodenyHizballahandIranthefinancialresourcesusedto sustaintheirmalignactivitiesintheregion.

“Our actions today further demonstrate that the United Statesʼ commitment to promoting accountabilityfortheAssadregimeʼsabusesandjusticeforvictimsisunwavering. Anyforeign personwhoknowinglyprovidessignificantfinancial,material,ortechnologicalsupportto,or engages inasignificanttransactionwiththeGovernmentofSyria,putsthemselvesatriskof U.S.sanctions,”saidU.S.SecretaryofStateAntonyJ.Blinken.

TheU.S.continuestourgestatesintheregiontoconsidercarefullytheatrocitiescommitted bytheregimeontheSyrianpeople,someofwhichrisetothelevelofwarcrimesandcrimes against humanity, as well as the regimeʼs continuing efforts to deny much of the country access to humanitarian aid despite carveouts from sanctions that authorize such humanitarianactivitytohelpthepeoplesufferingasaresultoftheregimeʼscruelty.

“Wewillusealltoolsatourdisposaltopushforreformandpromoteaccountabilityforthose who profit from the Assad regimeʼs atrocities and flagrant denial of human rights,” said Blinken.

CorruptionandHumanRights

U.S.SecretaryofStateAntonyBlinken.Photo:DepartmentofState

Corruption-free living should be declared a fundamentalhumanrightandlocalaswellas international courts should provide justice free of charge to the victims of corruption throughsimpleprocesses.|RakeshRaman

ShortStoriesofCorruptionintheWorld

The PresidentofImranKhan'sPakistanTehreek-e-InsafpartyParvezElahiwasarrested again minutes aer a judicial magistrate ordered his release in an embezzlement case. Elahi, a close aide to former prime minister Khan, was a day earlier arrested outside his residence in Punjab province in the Rs 70 million corruption case related to the embezzlementofdevelopmentfundsallocatedfortheGujratdistrict.ReadMore

Former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe has been blocked from entering into the United States, as part of its ongoingcrackdownoncorruptionintheCaribbeanisland nation.USSecretaryofStateAntonyBlinkenannouncedthesanctionsagainstLamotheon, citinghis“involvementinsignificantcorruption”.ReadMore

A French court of appeals upheld a prison sentence of three years, including two suspended,againstformerpresidentNicolasSarkozyforcorruptionandinfluencepeddling, reportedAFP.The68-year-oldleaderwasalsobannedfrompublicofficeforthreeyearsfor seeking to obtain information about a legal investigation from a judge via a secret telephone line that was discovered through wiretapping. Sarkozy was France's President from2007to2012.ReadMore

US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse says ʻdark moneyʼ is bending the countryʼs major institutions to the rich and powerful. Americansʼ trust in all levels of their government –includingthepresidencyandCongress,andnowtheSupremeCourt–isfallingrapidly.One of the top courtʼs justices, Clarence Thomas, was found to have been showered inpricey gis from a billionaire businessman for years The case has put the courtʼs ethics under scrutiny.ReadMore

Ukrainian prosecutors have detained the head of the country's Supreme Court for allegedly taking bribes. The arrest comesadayaerspecialistinvestigatorssaidtheyhad "exposed large-scale corruption" at the court. Prosecutors did not name the official and said they had not yet been served formally with a "notice of suspicion". But local media reportedthatChiefJusticeVsevolodKniazievhadbeendetainedinconnectionwitha$3m (£2.4m;€2.9m)bribe.ReadMore

China's ruling party, the Communist Party of China (CCP), has punished more than 110,000 officials in an anti-corruption drive, the Indo-Pacific Centre for Strategic CommunicationssaidinareportonMay9.Sincethe18thNationalCongressoftheCCPin 2012,theXiJinpingadministrationhaslaunchedananti-corruptioncampaign.ReadMore

Media Reports on Corruption in India

Prime MinisterNarendraModiassertedthatchangesbroughtbyhisgovernmentinthe recruitmentsystemhaveendedthepossibilityofcorruptionandnepotismashegaveaway appointmentletterstoover71,000peopleata'RozgarMela'.ReadMore

StateBJPpresidentCPJoshiaccusedchiefministerGehlotandthestategovernment of not addressing the increasing corruption cases in Jaipur. Joshi alleged that he was concerned that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) was not investigating corrupt officers properly and criticized the Chief Minister for going against his own promise of having no toleranceforcorruption.ReadMore

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP of unnecessarily defaming the Congress government on corruption issue, asserting that his dispensation has adopted 'zerotolerance'policyagainstcorruption Gehlotsaidthatthestategovernmenthastaken strictactionagainstcorruptofficersandemployees.ReadMore

In a significant order, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has virtually stayed the proceedings of the Vigilance Bureau against appellant-sarpanches aer a Bench wastold that permission required under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act hadnot beentakenfromthestategovernmentbeforeholdinganinquiry.ReadMore

ThesecondmeetingoftheG-20anti-corruptionworkinggroupunderIndiaʼspresidency beganatNarendraNagarinUttarakhandinMaywitharound90representativesofmember countriesinattendance.ReadMore

The Delhi government is set to initiate disciplinary proceedings against IAS YVVJ Rajasekhar,whoisprobingvigilancemattersrelatedtoexcisepolicyandtherenovationof chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's bungalow, over several complaints against him. Services ministerSaurabhBharadwajhassubmittedaformalrequesttoDelhiCMKejriwal,appealing fortheimmediatetransferoftheIASofficer.ReadMore

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has gathered evidence of “unprecedented corruptionandmoneylaunderingtothetuneof₹2,000crore”inliquorsalesforfouryears inChhattisgarhwhichwasbeingcarriedoutwiththe“backing”ofhigh-levelpoliticiansand bureaucratsinthestate,theagencysaid.ReadMore

Top Karnataka Congress Leader Facing Corruption Allegations

Congress leader DK Shivakumar is facing corruption allegations as the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI)isprobingacaseofdisproportionateassetsagainsthim.

ThedyingCongresspartyhasselectedSiddaramaiahforthepositionofchiefminister(CM)of KarnatakaaerwinningthestateelectionforwhichtheresultwasannouncedonMay13.The adhocdecisionofCongresshasleanotheraspirantDKShivakumarsulking,althoughhehas beenappointedthedeputyCM.

CongressleadersDKShivakumar,MallikarjunKharge,andSiddaramaiahaerwinningtheKarnataka election2023.Photo:Congress

Inthe224-memberKarnatakaAssemblyelectionthattookplaceonMay10Congresswon134 seatsleaving66fortherulingBharatiyaJanataParty(BJP)ofprimeministerNarendraModi.

ItislargelybelievedthattheCongressgovernmentwillfallinthestatebeforecompletingits term because of the infighting in the party and BJPʼs stratagem to destabilize it through anti-corruptionagencies.

Congress leader DK Shivakumar is facing corruption allegations as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) isprobingacaseofdisproportionateassetsagainsthim.Itisallegedthat Shivakumar possessed Rs 74.93 crore of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income for the period between 2013 and 2018 when he was a cabinet minister. To win the Karnatakaelection,CongresscampaignedagainstBJPʼscorruptionandhighlightedPMModiʼs

alleged collusion with oligarch Gauatm Adani who is facing a series of financial fraud allegations.

However, the traditional party made Shivakumar deputy CM while he is also allegedly involved in a corruptionscandal.Thereisapossibilitythathewillagainbejailed,ashehad beenjailedbefore

Shivakumar was incarcerated in Delhiʼs Tihar jail for about 50daysaerhewasarrestedby the Enforcement Directorate (ED) - which investigates serious financial crime cases - on September3,2019inamoneylaunderingcase.HewasreleasedonOctober23aertheDelhi HighCourtgrantedhimbail.

AsitappearsthatCongressisalsofullofcorruptpoliticians,itcouldnotfindanhonestperson foroneofthetoppostsinKarnataka.IfShivakumarisjailedagain,BJPwillgetanopportunity tobreakCongressinthestate.

There is also a possibility that Congress will implode in Karnataka when Shivakumar isnot abletocontrolhisaspirationtobecometheCM.

Congresshascollapsedinotherstatesalsobecauseoftheconflictsbetweenitstopleaders.In Punjab, for example, the open fight between Navjot Singh Sidhu and former Punjab CM AmarinderSinghcausedthedownfalloftheparty.

The differences between Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia led to the collapse of the Congress governmentinMadhyaPradesh.AndnowtheongoingbattlebetweenSachinPilot and CM AshokGehlotinRajasthanhasassumeddrasticproportionsandCongresshasfailed toresolvetheissues.AsimilarsituationhappenedinHimachalPradeshwhereCongresswon recently.

All these cases show that Congress will continue to be an unstable party, as it is not a process-driven organization. All decisions in the party are takenarbitrarilyandopaquelyby someindividualswhoarenotquitecompetent.

With this kind of perfunctory approach, it will be extremely difficult for Congress to win electionsorsaveitsgovernmentsaerwinningtheelections.

GrandCorruptionCases

In grand corruption cases, the prosecution shouldrunininternationalcourtsbecausethe localcourtsinmostcountriesareextremelyweaktohandlesuchcases.|RakeshRaman

Global Conference on Harnessing Data to Improve Corruption Measurement

Through interactive panels, experts will discuss topics such as the development of a UN statisticalframeworktomeasurecorruption.

Measuring corruption is essential for understanding its causes,consequencesandtrends,aswellasfordesigning andevaluatingeffectiveresponses.Bydevelopingreliable and comparable indicators and data, we can enhance transparency, accountability and evidence-based policymakinginthefightagainstcorruption

From 31Augustto1September2023,theUnitedNations OfficeonDrugsandCrime(UNODC)andtheInternational Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) are joining forces in hosting the first Global Conference on Harnessing Data to Improve CorruptionMeasurement.Theconferencewillbeheldinhybrid formatinVienna,Austria.(Photo:UNODC)

The conference aims to bring together policymakers, scientists, practitioners and experts from governments, civil society and academia, to provide a forum to exchange knowledge, experiences and good practices in measuring corruption and the impact of anti-corruption measures.

Through interactive panels, experts will discuss topics such as the development of a UN statisticalframeworktomeasurecorruption,user-centredapproachestomeasurementorthe useoftechnologyinthecollection,analysisanduseofdata.

Electricity Subsidy Fraud Reported in Delhi

As a journalist and anti-corruption activist, I sent the following notice to the management committee(MC)ofJaypeeCGHS(alsoknownasBeverlyPark).

The cooperative group housingsocieties(CGHS)ofDelhihavebecomedangerouscentresof crime and corruption. The crimes in these housing societies are being committed by the management committee (MC) members or administrators in connivance with the corrupt officials of Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS) of Delhi Government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Police, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and a few other departments.

Inordertostopcrimesinthehousingsocieties,thelocalresidentsshouldnotfeelscaredand formally complain against the criminal MC members, administrators, and government functionaries. We need to work together to weed out rampant crime and corruption from Delhiʼshousingsocieties.

CaseUpdate:May18,2023

As a journalist and anti-corruption activist, I sent the following notice to the management committee(MC)ofJaypeeCGHS(alsoknownasBeverlyPark).SinceIdidnotgetaresponse,I ampublishingthiscasereportpubliclyandagainadvisetheMCtofollowthelawandstopthe alleged irregularities at the Society. The authorities can investigate this case to catch the culprits

IwillsoonfileaformalcaseatvariousadministrativeandjudicialforumsagainsttheJaypee CGHS MC so that an appropriate legal action could be taken against the accused and the residentsofJaypeeCGHScouldliveinapeacefulandcorruption-freeenvironment.

Youcanclickheretostudythecompletecasereportalongwithavideo.

RakeshRaman

NewDelhi

JaypeeCGHS(alsoknownasBeverlyPark),PlotNo

2,Sector22,Dwarka,NewDelhi110077 Photocourtesy:Residents

Crime, Corruption, and Impunity in India

Politicians, bureaucrats, police, and judges have formed a criminal gang in India. The following cases depict how they collude with criminals and commit crimes and corruption with impunity while the ordinary citizens are suffering. Click the following links for details.

UN Petition on Punjab Unrest RCS-EOW Case

Cabinet Secretariat Case

Prime Minister Office (PMO) Case

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Case

Delhi Lokayukta Case

DoPT Case CBI Case

Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Case

Supreme Court Case

Delhi Govt Case Delhi Petitions Committee / CVC Case

NHRC Case Petition on School Education

Environmental Crime Case Lokpal Removal Case

Judicial Corruption Case

RCS Corruption Case

Lokayukta Delhi Corruption Case Widehouse Scandal

NHRC Case at UN HRC

IAS Group Corruption Case

CPGRAMS Cases PGMS Cases

IAS Corruption Record UNCAC Petition

Delhi Police Case DoPT Processes

RCS RTI Violations

U.S. Case Report

DDA Corruption Case

UN Human Rights Petition

Petitions and Representations by Rakesh Raman. Up to June 2023

CorruptionandImprisonment

The corrupt bureaucrats,politicians,andothersshouldbeincarceratedinharshdetention camps or concentration camps at remote places instead ofsendingthemtoconventional jailswheretheyenjoyluxuriousfacilities.|

RakeshRaman

Only Corrupt Politicians Will Support Kejriwal on Delhi Govt Tussle

As Kejriwal is unlikely to get administrative control in Delhi - which is not a full state - he shouldremovehisjuniorpartycolleagueBhagwantMannfromtheCMpositioninPunjaband becometheCMofPunjab.

Thesedays,Delhichiefminister(CM)ArvindKejriwalistryingtomobilizesupportagainstthe CentralgovernmentwhichhasdivestedhimofallpowersintheDelhiGovernment.

TheCentralgovernmentofprimeminister(PM)NarendraModihastakenanothersteptostop themisuseofauthorityandcorruptionbyKejriwalandhisAamAadmiParty(AAP)colleagues.

In order to oppose a Supreme Court orderofMay11thatgaveDelhibureaucracycontrolto the Kejriwal government, the Modi government promulgated an ordinance on May 19 to createaNationalCapitalCivilServiceAuthority.

The new Authority will have the power to recommend the transfers and postings of bureaucratsincludingallGroupAofficersandofficersofDANICS(Delhi,Andaman&Nicobar, Lakshadweep,DamanandDiuandDadraandNagarHaveliCivilServices)servinginDelhi.

ArvindKejriwal,chiefminister,Delhi

WhiletheoverallcontrolofadministrationwillstaywithDelhiLt Governor(LG)VinaiSaxena, Kejriwalandhisministerswillcontinuetobedummyofficialsinthegovernmentwithoutany direct role.InordertoopposetheModigovernmentʼsordinance,Kejriwalismeetingvarious political leaders in other states. However, few are expected to support Kejriwal who is perceivedtobethemostcorruptpoliticianinIndianpolitics

InatweetwritteninHindi,KejriwalsaidonMay23thathewilltravelintheentirecountryto seeksupportfromotherpoliticalleaderssothattheordinancedoesnotbecomealawinthe RajyaSabhawhereoppositionpartieshavesufficientstrength.

SincetheordinanceismainlytostopcorruptionbyKejriwalandotherAAPleaders,nohonest leaderwillsupportKejriwal.AlongwithKejriwal,anumberofAAPpoliticiansareeitherfacing investigations or languishing in jail for their alleged involvement in massivecorruptionand moneylaunderingcases.

As most political leaders are aware of Kejriwalʼs corruption cases, they will not stand with “corruptKejriwal.”OnlythoseleaderswillcollaboratewithKejriwalinopposingtheordinance who themselves are corrupt and fear investigations by the central agencies such as the CentralBureauofInvestigation(CBI)ortheEnforcementDirectorate(ED).

ThemainoppositionpartyCongress,forexample,hasdecidedtostayawayfromKejriwaland his“corrupt”colleagues.ADelhiCongressleaderAjayMakenwrotealongTwitterpostonMay 23toexplainwhyCongressshouldnotopposetheordinance.

He said thatthereareadministrative,political,andlegalreasonsfornotsupportingKejriwal whenheisdemandingunduecontrolinDelhi.TheSupremeCourtorderthatKejriwalisciting is totally ambiguous, as most court orders in India are not veryclearandusuallywrittenin broken(orwrong)English.

Since most Supreme Court judges also lack domain knowledge, they take casual decisions whichcannotbechallenged.Thesituationisworseinthehighcourtsandlowercourts.Ifyou evaluate the Supreme Court judgments through an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based expert system,youwillfindthatalmostallthejudgmentsordelaysareeitherwrongorbiased.

Itisonceagainvisibleinthestandalonedecision-withoutconsideringvariousaspects-that the Supreme Court took in favour of the Kejriwal government. As Kejriwal isunlikelytoget administrative control in Delhi - which is not afullstate-heshouldremovehisjuniorparty colleagueBhagwantMannfromtheCMpositioninPunjabandbecometheCMofPunjab.

Since Bhagwant Mann is an illiterate and incapable politician, he is not able to handle the growingunrestinPunjab.

Perception Survey for 2023 Corruption Research Project in India

IndiaCorruptionResearchReport2023(ICRR2023)

Aer releasing the India CorruptionResearchReport2022(ICRR2022)inOctober2022,RMN Foundation-whichisahumanitarianinitiativeofRMNNewsService-haslaunchedtheIndia CorruptionResearchReport2023(ICRR2023)project.

This survey is part of our ongoing researchprojecttocompileacomprehensivereportICRR 2023oncorruptioninIndia Youcanparticipateinthefollowingsurveyandclickheretoknow thedetailsoftheproject.

IsIndiaacorruptcountry?

Yes No

AreyouaffectedbycorruptioninIndia? Yes No

WhoismainlyresponsibleforcorruptioninIndia?

PerceptionSurveyfor2023CorruptionResearchProjectinIndia.Photo:RMNNewsService

Bureaucrats

Politicians

PrivateCompanies

WhatistheimpactofcorruptioninIndia?

DeathofDemocracy

HumanRightsViolations

Inflation

Injustice

Poverty

Hunger

Unemployment

AreIndiananti-corruptionagenciesworkinghonestly? Yes No

ArecorruptIndianbureaucratsandpoliticianspunishedsuitably? Yes No

IsthereacriminalnexusbetweenbusinessoligarchsandtoppoliticiansinIndia? Yes No

AreIndiancourtshandlingcorruptioncaseseffectively? Yes No

ShouldIndiancorruptioncrimesbeprosecutedininternationalcourts? Yes No

Isimprisonmentasufficientpunishmentforcorruptioncrimes? Yes No

RakeshRaman

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Indian Politician Brij Bhushan Faces Sextortion Allegations

Sextortionisaformofcorruptioninwhichsex,ratherthanmoney,isthecurrencyofthebribe. A new microsite has been launched to cover the sextortion caseofIndianwomenwrestlers whohavelevelledsexualharassmentallegationsagainstanIndianpolitician.

Microsite:IndianwrestlersSakshiMalik,VineshPhogat,BajrangPuniaprotestagainstBrijBhushan SharanSinghaccusedofsexualharassment

Sextortion,asdefinedbytheInternationalAssociationofWomenJudges(IAWJ),istheabuse of powertoobtainasexualbenefitoradvantage.Assuch,itisaformofcorruptioninwhich sex,ratherthanmoney,isthecurrencyofthebribe.

The humanitarian organization RMN Foundation - which works in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society - has launched this digital platform to reportontheongoingprotestbythesexuallyharassedwomenwrestlers.

The interactive digital site includes multimedia content including text reports, images, and videosthatregularlyinformabouttheprotestandrelatedissues.

Since the accused – Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh (Brij Bhushan) – in this casebelongstothe rulingregimeofprimeministerNarendraModi,noactionisbeingtakenagainsthimdespitea constantprotestbythevictimsandtheirsupportersinNewDelhi.

AgroupofinternationallyrecognizedwomenwrestlershaveformallyaccusedBrijBhushanof serioussextortion/sexualharassmentoffences.TheSupremeCourtofIndiahashandledthe caseinaperfunctorymanner.

AlthoughtheharassedwrestlersareholdingapeacefulprotestinNewDelhi,suchprotestsdo not succeedinauthoritarianregimessuchasIndia.Suchpeacefulprotestsbytheoppressed citizenshaverepeatedlyfailedintheautocraticnationssuchBelarus,China,Israel,Myanmar, Russia, Syria, and soon.Rather,theprotestersarebeingattacked,incarcerated,tortured,or evenkilledbythepoliceandsecurityforces.

Donate: You can click here to donate to RMN News Service.

Itisallegedinthefirstinformationreport(FIR)ofDelhiPolicefiledonApril28,2023thatBrij Bhushan had been demanding “sexual favours” from the femalewrestlersincludingminors and there are at least 15 incidents of sexual harassment that include 10 episodes of inappropriatetouchingandmolestation.

The wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia are leading the protest. While the fundamental rights of these women are being violated, they have no judicialforuminIndiawheretheycangoandgetjustice.

The international organizations such as the International Olympic Committee(IOC)andthe United World Wrestling (UWW) have issued some casual statements about the protesting Indian wrestlers, but they have not taken any punitive or formal legal action against the accusedinthiscase.

TheprotestingwrestlersaredemandingtheimprisonmentofBrijBhushan.Butimprisonment is not a sufficient punishmentforhim.Thesedays,topIndianpoliticiansenjoyallluxuries–includingfull-bodymassage–injailsandtheykeepmovingoutofjailsattheirwill.

And even if Brij Bhushan is jailed, the Modi government will soon release him as it had released last year the Bilkis Bano case convicts who were jailed fortherapeandmurderof

innocent people. Therefore, now an independent international judicial forum isrequiredto protecttherightsofwomenwrestlersofIndia.

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About the Editor

The editor of The Integrity Bulletin news magazine Rakesh Ramanisanational award-winning journalist and founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation. Besides working at senior editorial positions with leading media companies, he was writing an exclusive edit-page column regularly for The FinancialExpress(adailybusinessnewspaperofTheIndianExpressGroup).

Nowadays, for the past 12 years, he has been running his own global news services on multiple news sites. He runs various environment protection, education awareness, and anti-corruptioncampaigns,andpublishesdigitalmagazinesandresearchreportsondifferent subjects. Earlier, he had been associated with the United Nations (UN) through the United

Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a digital media expert to help businessesusetechnologyforbrandmarketingandbusinessdevelopment.

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Raman Media Network (RMN) Company has been working in diversified content creation, management, and distribution businesses on a global scale for the past 12 years. Among other content-based activities, the company runs 4 global news sites and produces digital magazines and research reports on different subjects. RMN Company offers various advertising and marketing options to companies, organizations, and brands in all parts of the world.

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Atpresent,RakeshisassociatedwiththeVarietiesofDemocracy(V-Dem)ProjectasaCountry ExpertforIndiatoprovideexpertresearchinputsonmultipletopicspertainingtodemocracy and governance. The V-Dem Project is managed by V-Dem Institute under the University of Gothenburg,Sweden.

In order to inform the Indian citizens and the global community about the extent of corruption in India, he compiled and released in October 2022 a comprehensive report on corruption in the country. Under the title “India Corruption Research Report 2022 (ICRR 2022),”theresearchreportcoversdiverseaspectsofcorruptioninIndia.

He has launched a nationwide campaign to introduce social democracy inIndiainorderto build an egalitarian society in which all citizens could enjoy equal rights, opportunities, freedoms,andaccesstojustice.Heisrunninganeditorialsection/microsite“PowerPlay:Lok SabhaElection2024inIndia”tocovertheelectionnews,events,andpoliticalcampaigns He is also running a nationwide campaign to save school students of India from directionless educationsothatstudentscouldacquiremodernskillsthatcanhelptheminthejobmarket.

He runs a community-driven anti-corruption social service “Clean House” to help the residents of Delhi raise their voice against the growing corruption and injustice in housing societieswheremillionsofpeoplesufferbecauseoframpantcorruptionandlawlessness.He hasalsoformedanenvironmentprotectiongroupcalledGreenGroupinNewDelhi,whichis themostpollutednationalcapitalintheworld.

As Rakesh has been facing constant threats including death threats for his editorial and anti-corruption work, the Paris-based international organization Reporters Without Borders

(RSF)thatdefendsfreedomofjournalistshasurgedtheIndiangovernmenttosavehimfrom threatsandpersecution.Youcanclickheretoreadhisfullprofile.

The Integrity Bulletin content project is being managed by RMN Foundation, which is the humanitarian initiative of RMN News Service. The Integrity Bulletin news magazine is being circulated among the top UN agencies, global anti-corruption organizations, international law-enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, lawmakers, social activists, politicians,and othersinIndiaandabroad

As the founder of RMN Foundation and editor of RMN News Service, I am managing this project independentlywithoutanyfinancialorothersupport RMNNewsServiceislookingforcollaborators across the world who can join handswithittocarryoutmajorcampaignsandprojectstoengage withdifferentstakeholdersintheanti-corruptiondomain Contact

RakeshRaman Founder

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