The BBC reports on 64 British mercenaries who allegedly plotted to overthrow the oil-rich government of dirt-poor Guinea. “In 2004 [Guinea] had the world’s fastest-growing economy. It might not be reflected in the life of the average citizen — but it was enough to attract the attention of people with plans for a coup,” the…
Oil companies: Against corruption, for transparency. At least, that was the testimony as the U.S. Congress debated a bill that would require oil, gas & mining companies to disclose their dealings with foreign governments. I went to the hearing at the House Financial Services Committee related to the new Bill, H.R. 6066, requiring private oil,…
Global Integrity’s Stephen Roblin went to the public release of the Transparency International’s most recent publication, Global Corruption Report 2008: Corruption in the Water Sector. There was a panel composed of 5 people, two WB representatives, a representative from the Inter American Development Bank, a Swiss economist, and someone from a hydroelectric company in France.…
Transparency International (TI) released their annual round up of corruption news and research today, the Global Corruption Report 2008, which includes a special focus on corruption in the water sector. The assessment explores how corruption prevails in different forms in the water sector, from bribery in water delivery to bid-rigging in irrigation and hydropower projects.…
Where you shop and what you buy may impact your access to credit — and that’s not a good thing for democracy. Last week, BusinessWeek.com reported on a lawsuit filed against CompuCredit, a credit card issuer, for failing to disclose that it uses the buying patterns of card users to evaluate how much credit to…
The latest chapter in a sad story: after weeks of intimidation and violence by supporters of Robert Mugabe, the opposition is calling it quits. Morgan Tsvangirai has pulled out of the impending presidential election, which he calls a “violent, illegitimate sham.” All Africa: MDC’s official statement All Africa: SADC calls for election to be postponed…