The Integrity Bulletin February 2019

Say No to Corruption

The Integrity Bulletin February 2019

Journalist Exposing Corruption Murdered. Photo: UNESCO

Main Stories in This Issue - Sextortion and Corruption in the Judiciary - Level of Corruption in India - Guatemala to Expel Anti-Corruption Group - Corruption Complaints in Delhi Lokayukta - Integrity and Transparency in Governance - AAP Resists Lokayukta Inquiry - India Removes Top Anti-Corruption Officer

- Interview with Dr Elizabeth David-Barrett - Demand for Removal of CVC - India Begins Process to Form Lokpal - Corruption in Authoritarian Regimes - Journalist Exposing Corruption Murdered - Demand for Anti-Corruption Laws in India - Anti-Corruption Community Court in Delhi

The Integrity Bulletin on Global Corruption News and Issues. February 2019. 1

Corruption Increasing in Authoritarian Regimes: Transparency Index Denmark and New Zealand top the Index with 88 and 87 points, respectively. Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria are at the bottom of the index, with 10, 13 and 13 points, respectively.

The 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released on January 29 by Transparency International reveals that the continued failure of most countries to significantly control corruption is contributing to a crisis of democracy around the world.

The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. More than two-thirds of countries score below 50 on this year’s CPI, with an average score of just 43.

Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair, Transparency International “Corruption is much more likely to flourish where democratic foundations are weak and, as we have seen in many countries, where undemocratic and populist politicians can use it to their advantage,” said Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair, Transparency International.

It reveals that the continued failure of most countries to significantly control corruption is contributing to a crisis in democracy around the world. While there are exceptions, the data shows that despite some progress, most countries are failing to make serious inroads against corruption.

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“With many democratic institutions under threat across the globe – often by ​leaders with authoritarian or populist tendencies – we need to do more to strengthen checks and balances and protect citizens’ rights,” said Patricia Moreira, Managing Director of Transparency International.

“Corruption chips away at democracy to produce a vicious cycle, where corruption undermines democratic institutions and, in turn, weak institutions are less able to control corruption.”

The 2018 CPI draws on 13 surveys and expert assessments to measure public sector corruption.

Denmark and New Zealand top the Index with 88 and 87 points, respectively. Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria are at the bottom of the index, with 10, 13 and 13 points, respectively.

The highest scoring region is Western Europe and the European Union, with an average score of 66, while the lowest scoring regions are Sub-Saharan Africa (average score 32) and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (average score 35).

Corruption Makes Governance Inefficient and Ineffective: Expert The research suggests that the accountability ecosystem is the really important thing for fighting corruption and sustaining the fight.

The Director of the Sussex Centre for the Study of Corruption (​SCSC​), Dr Elizabeth David-Barrett, argues that many countries have good anti-corruption laws but they have hardly any impact on reducing graft because they are not implemented properly.

the interview:

She suggests a number of ways to weed out corruption from the society and shares her candid views in an exclusive email ​interview with Rakesh Raman, the managing editor of Raman Media Network (RMN News Service). ​Excerpts from

On the impact of corruption on governance Corruption can make governance inefficient and ineffective, it can distort public policy priorities so that some important things get overlooked or under-resourced, and it can mean that people are not treated equally before the law. Ultimately, all of those things also mean that people stop trusting government and that can mean they don’t want to pay taxes or abide by laws themselves, because they don’t see them as legitimate.

On the measurement of impact of corruption

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Measuring corruption itself is extremely difficult, because those involved want to cover it up and usually have the power to do so as well; but measuring the impact of corruption is even harder.

Corruption seems to hinder democratization but weak democratic institutions also allow corruption to flourish.

On corrupt officials and impunity It is common for corrupt officials to go unpunished. After all, if the system is corrupt, then the people who are supposed to enforce the rules – whether police, judges, or prosecutors – are likely to be corrupt themselves. We need to fight the sense of impunity by supporting champions of anti-corruption, ambassadors for public service with integrity.

On corrupt law-enforcement officials This is the ‘who guards the guardians?’ problem epitomized by Roman satirist Juvenal in one of his plays, where a character ruminates about the problem of guarding his wife’s honor while he is away, given that the guards themselves are not honorable.

On tax systems and political corruption Tax authorities are often quite corrupt. They have considerable power, and sometimes they abuse it to overlook tax evasion – in exchange for bribes. This can even be extortion, with corrupt tax officials threatening to ‘find problems’ unless they are paid off. And in most countries, the tax code is so complicated, it is fairly easy to find problems.

On legal framework to hold corrupt bureaucrats and politicians accountable Many countries have good anti-corruption laws but they have had little impact on reducing graft because they are simply not implemented. The research suggests that the accountability ecosystem is the really important thing for fighting corruption and sustaining the fight.

On educating youth about the evil effects of corruption When educating young people, we need to do two things. First, we need to show how damaging corruption can be. Sometimes this is a matter of providing evidence – either from the research, or by looking at individual cases, whether local or international. But it can also be helpful to just have people imagine how much easier their lives would be if corruption disappeared tomorrow. Second, we need young people to believe that they can make a difference.

You can ​click here​ to read the full interview.

The Integrity Bulletin on Global Corruption News and Issues. February 2019. 4

Govt Reveals Level of Corruption in India The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has released the number of cases registered under Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act against Central Government employees.

The Central Vigilance Commission (​CVC​) of India has revealed the latest details of complaints received in CVC, under Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers (PIDPI) Resolution or otherwise.

These complaints have verifiable allegations of vigilance nature and offences of corruption against various Central Government officials including officials serving in other departments owned or controlled by the Central Government.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (​CBI​) has also released the number of cases registered under Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act against Central Government employees. The data is given below.

Year

2015

2016

2017

2018 (up to 30.11.2018)

No. of Cases

441

400

338

206

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Moreover, the CVC has informed that the complaints in which specific and verifiable allegations of vigilance nature / offences of corruption have been leveled against the officials have been forwarded to CVO / CBI to conduct inquiry / investigation into the matter.

CBI has informed that the following action has been taken on the cases registered under PC Act till date: Year

No.of cases charge-sheeted

No. of cases sent for Regular Departmental Action (RDA)

No. of cases sent for such action as appropriate

2015

361

22

4

2016

272

31

6

2017

168

10

0

2018 (up to 30.11.18)

45

2

0

This information was provided by an Indian minister Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on January 2, 2019.

According to a government statement, disciplinary proceedings can be initiated against the All India Services Officers, such as Indian Administrative Service (​IAS​), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) for misconduct including corruption charges, under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969; apart from liability for prosecution under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in cases of corruption.

The Department of Personnel & Training deals with corruption ​cases involving IAS officers. Central Government has granted sanction for prosecution against 17 IAS officers in 23 cases since January 2015.

Also, as per information received from Ministry of Home Affairs, sanction for prosecution has been granted to prosecute three IPS officers during the last three years (2015 to 2017) and this year.

As per information received from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 16 cases of corruption against IFoS officers have been noticed and sanction for prosecution has been granted in 4 cases during the last three years.

The Integrity Bulletin on Global Corruption News and Issues. February 2019. 6

Guatemala Decides to Expel UN Anti-Corruption Group The UN Secretary-General expects the Government of Guatemala to abide by its international undertakings to ensure the protection of CICIG personnel.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has denounced the Guatemalan Government’s decision to unilaterally terminate the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).

CICIG is an independent body set up by the UN and Guatemala to investigate illegal security groups and high-level corruption in the country.

The Secretary-General met on January 7 with Foreign Minister Sandra Erica Jovel Polanco of Guatemala who presented him with a letter informing the United Nations of the Government’s intention to terminate the agreement establishing the CICIG within 24 hours.

According to a UN statement, the Secretary-General strongly rejected the content of the letter addressed to him.

The United Nations has been constructively engaged with the Government of Guatemala, at various levels, over the last 16 months, in accordance with Article 12 of the agreement creating CICIG. “The mandate of the UN anti-corruption Commission is set to end on 3 September. Until that date, we expect the Government of Guatemala to entirely fulfill its legal obligations under the agreement,” the UN statement added.

The Secretary-General expects the Government of Guatemala to abide by its international undertakings to ensure the protection of CICIG personnel, both international and national.

Meanwhile, on 9 January 2019, Guatemala's constitutional court had suspended the government decision to expel the UN body.

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The Integrity Bulletin on Global Corruption News and Issues. February 2019. 7

India Removes Top Anti-Corruption Officer.

But Why? The eyebrow-raising question is how PM Modi can lead a team to remove the investigating officer Verma who was probing a corruption case in which Modi himself is a prime accused.

The removal of CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) director Alok Verma surreptitiously by a 3-member committee headed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has become a hot potato in the Indian political circles.

It is said that Verma was trying to probe the Rafale deal in which it is alleged that corruption worth crores of rupees has been committed by the Modi government. It is also alleged that PM Modi himself is involved in this criminal act.

The eyebrow-raising question is how Modi can lead a team to remove the investigating officer Verma who was probing a corruption case in which Modi himself is a prime accused.

The Supreme Court of India on January 8 had ordered the reinstatement of Verma who was unceremoniously asked to go on leave in October last year by the Modi government. The Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, however, restrained Verma from taking any major policy decision until a high-powered committee decides his case.

The committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, and Chief Justice of India was given one week to decide the case. The committee comprising PM Modi, Justice AK Sikri (CJI Gogoi’s representative), and Leader of Opposition / Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge removed Verma from his position on January 10 in a 2:1 vote. Kharge was not in favour of Verma’s removal.

Earlier, CJI Gogoi had ordered Central Vigilance Commission (​CVC​) to complete the inquiry for the allegations of corruption against CBI director Alok Verma, who was forced by the government to go on leave. The committee decided to remove Verma on the basis of a dubious CVC report while CVC works tightly under the control of Modi government.

Earlier, former Indian ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, and lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan had filed a complaint with the CBI, urging the agency to register an FIR against Modi and former defence minister ​Manohar Parrikar​.

The complaint alleges that Modi and Parrikar have committed a number of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, in the course of the April 2015 decision to purchase 36 Rafale aircraft from Dassault Aviation. The complaint was handed over to Alok Verma, who was director of the CBI.

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The complaint states that Modi – who is a public servant – misused his position as PM of India to give undue benefit to his close associate Anil Ambani who is the Chairman of Reliance ADA group of companies.

Here are some sharp reactions after Modi’s decision of January 10 to remove Verma who was investigating a case in which Modi himself is an accused.

“Supreme Court-appointed Monitor Justice Patnaik: No Evidence of Corruption Against Verma, Decision Of Modi-led Panel Very Hasty.”​ Click​ here​ to read the full article.

“The CVC report referred to circumstantial evidence in the case and asked for a ‘thorough criminal investigation’. However, the suspicions raised by the CVC as circumstantial evidence against Verma were dismissed by the Delhi High Court on January 11.”​ Click​ here​ to read the full article.

“If the selection committee that removed Alok Verma as CBI director did not give him adequate opportunity to present his point of view, it amounts to a violation of the principles of natural justice,” said former Chief Justice of India T. S. Thakur. ​Click​ here​ to read the full article.

“Alok Verma case: Govt didn’t share Justice Patnaik’s report, says Mallikarjun Kharge.” ​Click here to read the full article.

“In his formal submission to Justice A K Patnaik, the retired Supreme Court judge supervising the inquiry against him being conducted by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), deposed CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma had said Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdary paid a visit to his residence on October 6 as an ‘arbitrator’ for then CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana.” Click here​ to read the full article.

“Justice Patnaik’s Alok Verma Claims Raise Tough Questions for Supreme Court.” ​Click here to read the full article.

"Justice Sikri, who voted for Alok Verma's sacking, to get key post in London." Click here to read the full article.

"Supreme Court Judge Turns Down Post-Retirement Offer Amid Alok Verma Row. Justice AK Sikri, who retires in March, was nominated for the post at the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal (CSAT)." C ​ lick​ here​ to read the full article.

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Sussex Centre for the Study of Corruption The SCSC conducts research on a wide range of corruption-related issues.

The Sussex Centre for the Study of Corruption (SCSC) is stated to be the UK’s first academic centre dedicated to interdisciplinary research, policy impact, and teaching on corruption and anti-corruption.

The ​SCSC conducts research on a wide range of corruption-related issues, offers professional development courses, and two graduate-level courses, the MA in Corruption and Governance based at Sussex, and the LLM in Corruption, Law and Governance, taught from its base in Qatar.

Sextortion and Corruption in the Judiciary The corruption component stems from the person demanding the sexual favor occupying a position of authority.

By Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro. Courtesy: UNODC Sextortion, as defined by the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), is the abuse of power to obtain a sexual benefit or advantage. As such, it is a form of corruption in which sex, rather than money, is the currency of the bribe.

Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro. Photo: UNODC The IAWJ has succinctly explained the principle underlying sextortion as follows: what distinguishes sextortion from other types of sexually abusive conduct is that it has both a sexual component and a corruption component.

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The sexual component of sextortion arises from a request - whether implicit or explicit - to engage in any kind of unwanted sexual activity, ranging from sexual intercourse to exposing private body parts.

The corruption component stems from the person demanding the sexual favor occupying a position of authority, which they abuse by seeking to exact, or by accepting, a sexual favor in exchange for exercising the power entrusted to them. In other words, the perpetrator exercises their authority for their own gain.

The main barrier to the effective fight against sextortion is the victims' fear of exposing perpetrators, fearing possible reprisals which could include a demotion, the withholding of benefits, or even the loss of their job. Moreover, lawyers may refuse to represent the victims of judges for similar reasons, fearing it may adversely affect their practice of law before the courts.

Raising awareness by introducing the term into public dialogue, and by holding perpetrators accountable, will help us on the path to ending sextortion in the judiciary.

You can​ click here​ to read the full article.

Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro served as the first female Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of the Philippines and is the former President of the International Association of Women Judges.

Communist Party Demands Removal of CVC Chowdary The party states that the decision of the PM Modi-led committee to remove CBI chief Alok Verma, violating the principle of natural justice, is biased and motivated.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI(M) – has demanded that the Central Vigilance Commissioner K. V. Chowdary be removed from office and an inquiry ordered into the manner in which he dealt with the corruption case of CBI director Alok Verma.

According to CPI(M), the decision to remove Verma from his post is an arbitrary and shocking step while it was based on a report prepared by the Central Vigilance Commission (​CVC​), which has since been shown to be weak on substantive proof about the allegations.

The party added that Justice (Retd.) A. K. Patnaik nominated by the Supreme Court to supervise the CVC inquiry on allegations against Alok Verma has publicly stated that the CVC inquiry found no

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evidence of corruption against Verma. Further he said that the findings of the CVC report are not his and, thus, distanced himself from it, CPI(M) asserted.

The party states that the decision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led committee to remove Alok Verma, violating the principle of natural justice by denying him the right to defend himself, is biased and motivated.

CPI(M) said in its statement that all these actions confirm the suspicion that the Modi government was in an utmost hurry to remove Alok Verma in order to prevent probes into serious cases of corruption involving the highest political leadership and the Central government. These include Rafale scam and many other corruption scandals.

In the light of these revelations, the Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that CVC Chowdary be removed from office, which is the top government-controlled anti-corruption outfit in India.

Corruption Complaints in Delhi Lokayukta Most corrupt officials and politicians do not get punished and go scot-free because the anti-corruption laws are very weak in India.

While bureaucratic and political ​corruption is rampant in Delhi, new reports suggest that the office of Delhi's Lokayukta has received 41 complaints of corruption against the legislators of Aam Aadmi Party (​AAP​) government headed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The complaints are against the AAP MLAs as well as ministers.

It is learnt from an RTI reply that in 2017 Delhi’s anti-corruption ombudsman (Lokayukta) received 11 complaints against local ministers. The number is highest since 2008 when the figure was zero.

Most corrupt officials and politicians do not get punished and go scot-free because the anti-corruption laws are very weak in India. Police and law-enforcement officials are also not fully trained to handle white-collar crimes such as corruption.

While only circumstantial evidence (in terms of non-compliance of statutory procedures) should be enough to arrest and indict the accused in corruption cases, the anti-corruption departments carelessly dismiss corruption complaints with the excuse that the evidence was not sufficient against the accused.

According to an ​India Today report of January 14, 2019, there has also been a spike in allegations against corporators in the city's three bigger civic bodies controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (​BJP​) - the political party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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The report adds that the year 2018 saw 25 complaints, up from 13 the previous year. Since 2008, a total of 229 complaints have been received against MLAs, ministers, and ​bureaucrats of the Delhi Government - led by both Congress and AAP - and 172 of them have been disposed of.

There is a big government-led fraud in disposing of the corruption complaints. The government officials keep throwing complaints from one desk to another without taking any decision on the complaints. When the harassed complainants stop pursuing their complaints, the government fraudulently shows them as disposed of complaints.

Overall, according to the report, 1,360 complaints have been received in the last two years and 1,105 of them have been disposed of. The charges include those of corruption, nepotism, favoritism, ​misuse of power​, and personal interest in government works or tenders.

Corruption is rampant in Delhi, but Delhi Government makes false claims of checking corruption.

The Lokayukta is a statutory authority to investigate charges or allegations of corruption or administrative inefficiency against ministers, lawmakers, and bureaucrats in the state.

Earlier, a leading think tank Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) supported by a political watchdog Delhi Election Watch said that 23 (33%) of 70 AAP candidates – who were contesting Delhi election - had declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

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Anna Hazare Demands Anti-Corruption Laws

Strong

Anna Hazare criticized the Modi government for not implementing the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 despite an order of the Supreme Court.

Social activist Anna Hazare has said that the Rafale scam would not have happened if the Lokpal was formed, indicating that the Narendra Modi government has failed to stop corruption in India.

Hazare, 81, ​announced to sit on an indefinite hunger strike from January 30 to press for his demand for the implementation of stronger anti-corruption laws under Lokpal (the top anti-corruption ombudsman) and Lokayuktas.

He criticized the Modi government for not implementing the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 despite an ​order of the Supreme Court. “The country is in danger of slipping towards autocracy," Hazare said with the view that Modi is ignoring even the Supreme Court’s directions.

Last year also he sat on an indefinite hunger ​strike in Delhi against corruption and about farmers’ issues. But the Modi government had ignored Hazare. Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal was supporting Hazare in the anti-corruption protest of 2011. But Kejriwal ​cheated Hazare to form Aam Aadmi Party (​AAP​) and enter dirty Indian politics. Now, Kejriwal is perceived to be one of most corrupt politicians that India has produced.

Reports ​suggest that Hazare began his hunger strike at his village Ralegan Siddhi on January 30.

Organizations of farmers in 15 states, including Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, were expected to join the hunger strike.

Anti-Corruption Community Court in Delhi As millions of Delhi residents are victims of the terror unleashed by the MC members of different housing societies, a free community service helps the suffering residents raise their voice against the growing corruption and injustice.

Today, corruption and illegal activities have gone rampant in Delhi’s cooperative group housing societies and it appears that no government exists in the city-state to control the rising tide of lawlessness in these societies.

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Almost all the managing committees (MCs) of housing societies are under the control of corrupt MC members who mostly operate as money-collecting gangs. They are supported by deep-pocketed builders and corrupt bureaucrats​ and politicians.

As millions of common residents are victims of the terror unleashed by the MC members of different housing societies, an exclusive free community service “​Clean House​” helps the suffering residents raise their voice against the growing corruption and injustice.

It covers cases of corruption and other illegal activities in Delhi’s cooperative group housing societies.

It also highlights government’s ​failure to stop corruption and lawlessness in these societies, and coordinates with different government departments to get the cases resolved.

Residents affected by the corruption of MC members inform that their formal complaints to different government departments are being ignored or government officials keep throwing their complaints from one desk to another without taking any action against the accused MC members. This bureaucratic inaction or inefficiency is also a form of corruption.

India Begins Process to Form Lokpal You can visit "​Clean House​" to study the active cases.

The Lokpal Act envisages establishment of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to investigate cases of corruption against public servants.

India’s Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions said on January 30 that the first meeting of the search committee for recommending a panel of names for appointment as Chairperson and Members of the Lokpal was held on 29th January, 2019. It was stated that all the members of the committee were present during the meeting.

According to the government ​statement​, the committee decided to invite applications / nominations from eligible persons to be considered for the position of Chairperson and Members of Lokpal through an advertisement at the earliest. The committee will meet again within a fortnight to carry on further deliberations.

The Lokpal Act, which envisages establishment of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to investigate cases of corruption against public servants, was passed in 2013.

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AAP Resists Lokayukta Inquiry in Possible Corruption Case Most Indian politicians evade prosecution and imprisonment in cases of crime and corruption with the false pretexts that the complaints against them are politically motivated.

While there are multiple complaints of corruption against Aam Aadmi Party (​AAP​) legislators, the party has decided to defy the notices from Delhi’s anti-corruption body Lokayukta which has asked AAP MLAs to reveal the details of their assets.

Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel – who is also an AAP member – said that the Lokayukta’s notices to Delhi MLAs for revealing their assets and liabilities are ‘politically motivated.’

The Lokayukta office had issued notices to the legislators, asking them to give details of their assets and liabilities by January 28. The notices were issued in response to a petition filed by an advocate and RTI activist.

Instead of simply divulging the details of assets – which is a basic requirement for a public functionary - AAP headed by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has responded in a weird manner. Speaker Goel has demanded penal action against the complainant and threatened to sue him.

In a letter to Delhi Lokayukta Reva Khetrapal, according to reports​, Goel said the Lokayukta’s office was not empowered to seek such details of MLAs, let alone the speaker and deputy speaker of the Delhi Assembly.

Kejriwal’s AAP is giving a strange excuse for concealing their asset details, saying Lokayukta has sought details of only 66 AAP MLAs and not the 4 MLAs who belong to Bharatiya Janata Party (​BJP​).

Moreover, AAP suggests that Lokayukta should have dismissed the petition.

But why should Lokayukta dismiss the petition? Even if it is a ‘politically motivated’ complaint, as AAP claims, AAP MLAs must reveal their asset details publicly because they are using public funds.

Most Indian politicians evade prosecution and imprisonment in cases of crime and corruption with the false pretexts that the complaints against them are politically motivated.

While bureaucratic and political corruption is rampant in Delhi, new reports reveal that the office of Delhi's Lokayukta has received 41 complaints of corruption against the AAP legislators. The complaints are against the AAP MLAs as well as ministers.

Reports ​suggest that 50 of the 66 AAP MLAs have refused to declare their assets and liabilities as directed by Delhi's Lokayukta. But why do AAP leaders want to hide the details of their wealth?

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As they are trying to defy the Lokayukta notices, it shows that they could have amassed assets disproportionate to their known sources of income – which is a serious crime.

The institution of Lokayukta has been set up to inquire into the corruption allegations against public functionaries in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. It also works to eradicate corruption, favoritism, abuse of position and power among the public functionaries.

Journalist Exposing Corruption Murdered Ghana Integrity Initiative joins all other anti-corruption civil society and media organizations in Ghana and all over the world to condemn this dastardly act.

The news of the murder of Ahmed Hussein-Suale, an investigative journalist who helped expose corruption in African football, has been received by the Ghana Integrity Initiative, the local chapter of Transparency International.

“The act is signalling a dangerous twist to the fight against corruption in Ghana,” Transparency said in a statement issued on January 18. “The enormous contribution of investigative journalists and media in general to the fight against corruption cannot be emphasised enough.”

Stop killing journalists. Photo: UNESCO

The statement added that Ghana Integrity Initiative joins all other anti-corruption civil society and media organizations in Ghana and all over the world to condemn this dastardly act.

This act is not only going to create fear and panic among well-meaning Ghanaians who are desirous to join the fight against corruption, but it is also going to dent the image of Ghana’s growing democracy.

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Ghana Integrity Initiative believes that to end the impunity for ​attacks on journalists, the police and all other appropriate state agencies must swiftly investigate this heinous crime and make the perpetrators face the full rigors of the law.

How to Ensure Integrity and Transparency in Governance A high degree of scrutiny at the social level will act as a deterrent against corruption.

India’s Minister of State for Public Grievances, Jitendra Singh, said that the government has taken several legislative and administrative steps towards bringing about transparency in governance and improving the public service delivery mechanism.

Delivering the keynote address on January 23 at the inaugural session of the Summit on “Integrity and Transparency in Governance” in Delhi, Jitendra Singh said the Prevention of Corruption Act was amended last year with the aim to punish bribe givers for the first time.

Dr. Jitendra Singh interacting with the audience during the inaugural session of the Summit on “Integrity and Transparency in Governance” in New Delhi on January 23, 2019. Photo: PIB At the same time, he said, provisions have been made to provide adequate safeguards to the ​honest officers​ who are performing their task with integrity.

Jitendra Singh said that the focus of the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been on ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.’ He stressed upon the importance of transparency, accountability, and in-time delivery of services by the government.

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The minister said that a high degree of scrutiny at the social level will act as a deterrent against corruption.

Jitendra Singh informed that the Central Government has scrapped nearly 1,500 obsolete rules and laws with an aim to bring about transparency and improve efficiency. This includes self-attestation of certificates and abolition of interviews for job selection at junior level.

Write for The Integrity Bulletin RMN Foundation - the humanitarian organization in India - has launched ​The Integrity Bulletin which is a monthly newsletter on global corruption news and issues. Currently, the newsletter project is being managed by Mr. Rakesh Raman who is a national award-winning journalist and founder of RMN Foundation.

The Integrity Bulletin ​invites anti-corruption organizations, social activists, professionals, and experts to contribute their editorial articles for the newsletter. You may please submit the articles with your brief profile to Mr. Rakesh Raman (Email: contact@rmnfoundation.org). People from all across the world are also invited to ​participate​ as volunteers in this project.

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Meet the Editor The editor of ​The Integrity Bulletin ​Rakesh Raman is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. Besides working at senior editorial positions with leading media companies, he was writing an exclusive edit-page column regularly for The Financial Express (a daily business newspaper of The Indian Express Group).

Nowadays, for the past about 8 years, he has been running his own global news services on different subjects. He also has formed a free Education and Career Counselling Center for deserving children at a poor J.J. Colony in Dwarka, New Delhi under his ​NGO​ – RMN Foundation.

He runs an exclusive community-driven anti-corruption social service “​Clean House​” to help the suffering residents of Delhi raise their voice against the growing corruption and injustice. He also

The Integrity Bulletin on Global Corruption News and Issues. February 2019. 19

creates and distributes a number of ​digital publications that cover areas such as technology, law, environment, education, corruption and transparency. He has created a comprehensive online information service to educate the Indian voters for the upcoming ​Lok Sabha election scheduled to happen in 2019.

Earlier, he had been associated with the United Nations (UN) through United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a digital media expert to help businesses use technology for brand marketing and business development.

About The Integrity Bulletin Project The Integrity Bulletin content project is being carried out by RMN Foundation in collaboration with the Centre for Transparency and Accountability in Governance (​CTAG​), National Law University (NLU), Sector 14, Dwarka, New Delhi. ​The Integrity Bulletin is being circulated among the top anti-corruption organizations, law-enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, social activists, politicians, and others in India and abroad.

RMN Foundation is looking for collaborators across the world who can join hands with us to carry out major campaigns and projects to engage with different stakeholders in the anti-corruption domain.

Contact

Rakesh Raman Founder RMN Foundation

463, DPS Apts., Plot No. 16, Sector 4, Dwarka, Phase I New Delhi 110 078, INDIA

Contact by email

The Integrity Bulletin on Global Corruption News and Issues. February 2019. 20