Page 7 - Corruption

Singapore, among least corrupt nations, jails ex-minister for first time

A Singapore court has sentenced ex-minister S Iswaran to 12 months for accepting over $300,000 in gifts - an event which marks the first jail time for a former cabinet member in Singapore's history

Got over Rs 2 crore? You can become a Sarpanch in this Punjab village

Three contenders - Atma Singh (BJP), Jaswinder Singh Bedi, and Nirbhair Singh - competed for the 'Sarpanch' post in Punjab's Gurdaspur village, with Atma Singh's Rs 2 crore bid being the highest

Singapore to start landmark graft trial of former minister S Iswaran

The case against Iswaran, a former party member, is a test for a party that has long relied on its reputation for clean governance to win all elections since Singapore's independence in 1965

Lokpal forms inquiry wing to probe graft cases against public servants

Over a decade after a law governing it was passed, anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal has constituted an inquiry wing for conducting preliminary probe into graft-related offences committed by public servants. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 (Act of 2013) came into force on January 1, 2014, when it received assent of the President. However, it began functioning only on March 27, 2019, following the appointment of its chairperson and members. To discharge its statutory functions, Section 11 of the Act obligates the Lokpal to constitute an inquiry wing for the purpose of conducting preliminary inquiry into any offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, alleged to have been committed by the specified public servants and functionaries. The full bench of Lokpal, in its meeting held on August 30, 2024, has decided to constitute an inquiry wing of the Lokpal, according to an official order. Lokpal chairperson has been authorised to commence the selection process for

Two ex-Goa MLAs were paid in cash by AAP for poll-related expenses: CBI

Two former Goa MLAs who contested the 2022 state Assembly polls on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tickets have alleged that they were paid in cash by a party volunteer for meeting campaign-related expenses, the CBI has said in its chargesheet in the Delhi excise policy case. The agency has alleged that of the total of Rs 90-100 crore of ill-gotten money paid by the "South Group" to tweak the excise policy in its favour, an amount of Rs 44.5 crore in cash was sent to Goa for meeting election-related expenses. In its fifth and final supplementary chargesheet in the case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that the role of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with that of another accused Durgesh Pathak, a Delhi MLA and the AAP in-charge for the Goa polls, has surfaced in the transfer of the ill-gotten money and its use to meet election-related expenditures. The CBI has alleged that two former MLAs -- Mahadev Narayan Naik and Satyavijay Naik -- were approached by Pathak

AAP and corruption have become synonyms: Delhi BJP Chief Sachdeva

The BJP on Monday alleged corruption in the health department by the AAP government and claimed the Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has taken cognisance of it. Addressing a press conference here, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that they had filed a complaint to the Delhi ACB regarding corruption by the AAP and the authority has taken cognisance of it. There was no immediate reaction from the AAP on the BJP's allegations. "All departments of the Delhi government have become epicenters of corruption whether it is health, education or any other department," Sachdeva said. He added the AAP and corruption have become synonyms, and the Arvind Kejriwal government runs away from all responsibilities and fulfills them by holding press conferences. "Whenever there is corruption or any other irregularity, the AAP minister will blame the officers claiming themselves sacred. If that's the case, then what are you doing as ministers?" Sachdeva asked. Echoing similar sentiments

Donald Trump vows to tackle inflation, corruption at Pennsylvania rally

Trump said that he will work towards making the country a dominant energy producer in the world and claimed the country will experience a reduction in energy costs

Will appoint prosecutor to conduct trial in 2015 cash-for-vote scam: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it will appoint a special prosecutor to conduct trial in the 2015 cash-for-vote scam case in which Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is an accused. The top court was hearing a petition seeking transfer of the trial in the case from the state to Bhopal. A bench of Justices B R Gavai, P K Mishra and K V Viswanathan said it will consult colleagues from Telangana and pass an order at 2 pm. At the outset, senior advocate C Aryama Sundaram, appearing for Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy and three others, sought transfer of trial saying the Telangana CM has been publicly making statements on the case. "Only on apprehension, how can we entertain...If we entertain such petitions, we will be disbelieving our judicial officers," the bench observed. Sundaram submitted that Telangana CM is himself the Home Minister. "There is a rule of natural justice that no person should be a judge in his own cause," he said. The bench t

SC-appointed SIT on black money asks probe agencies to coordinate with ED

The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money on Wednesday stressed the need to regulate online gambling and rising narcotic trade and asked anti-corruption probe agencies to coordinate with Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax for better results. SIT vice-chairman Justice (Retd) Arijit Pasayat made this remark after a meeting with various stakeholders, including ED director Rahul Navin, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chairman Ravi Agrawal, and senior officials from state vigilance, customs, and excise. He also indicated that the SIT is expected to submit its ninth interim report to the Supreme Court within a fortnight to a month. To date, the panel has already submitted eight reports. "We have consistently argued that corruption should not be limited to the Prevention of Corruption Act alone. It must also be addressed under Income Tax laws and the Money Laundering Act, as black money represents undisclosed income," Justice Pasayat said. H

S Africa investigating alleged $7 bn corruption at state-owned companies

South Africa has active investigations into alleged corruption totalling more than USD 7 billion at some of its top state-owned companies, according to a report published Tuesday by the national anti-graft unit. The investigations are not new, and some have been running since 2018, and all of them were cited by the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) in a report to a parliamentary committee to give an update on the status of the probes. Those investigations involve six state-owned businesses: ports and rail company Transnet, arms company Denel, power utility Eskom, the National Lotteries Commission, national airline South African Airways and passenger rail company PRASA. Around 60 suspicious contracts and hundreds of cases of conflict of interest and other alleged corruption worth nearly $4 billion of public money are under investigation at Transnet alone, according to the report. Also, there are nearly 40 other ongoing investigations into alleged corruption involving different state-r

HC bench recuses from hearing ex-cop Sachin Waze's plea seeking release

A division bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday recused from hearing a petition filed by dismissed policeman Sachin Waze seeking bail in the CBI's corruption case also involving former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh. Waze, who is in judicial custody, had sought to be released on bail, claiming he is an approver in the case and on grounds of parity as all the other accused are out on bail. A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande had earlier this month briefly heard the petition and said it would pass order on the interim bail request first and then hear the petition finally. However, on Tuesday, Justice Dangre recused from hearing the matter. "I did not realise then that this matter also involves Anil Deshmukh. I cannot hear pleas related to this," Justice Dangre said without elaborating any further. The petition will now be placed for hearing before another division bench. Waze, in his plea, said keeping him in jail, even after he was decl

Diageo submits financial documents in Delhi police corruption investigation

The documents submitted included certain bank statements, records of financial dealings with the Delhi city agencies

ACB conducts checks in Telangana govt hostels, observes irregularities

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Telangana on Tuesday conducted surprise checks in 10 government hostels across the state and noticed "several irregularities" in the hostels during the searches. The ACB teams were assisted by the legal metrology inspector, sanitary inspector, food inspector and auditor to check the quality and quantity of the food, sanitation conditions, strength of the students and records of the hostels, an ACB release said here. "During the searches, several irregularities were noticed in the hostels. The student numbers were inflated. No proper hygiene was maintained in the kitchens, store rooms, wash rooms and toilets. Proper drinking water was not being supplied," it said. There was no sufficient lighting and ventilation in the rooms and the food menu was not being maintained, the ACB said. The students were supposed to be given egg and milk every day but they were never given these food items, according to the ACB. The ACB said there are 18 types ...

After 8 yrs of preliminary inquiry, CBI books Hindalco for corruption

The CBI has booked the country's leading aluminium producer Hindalco of the Aditya Birla Group for alleged corruption in getting environmental clearances for coal mining between 2011 and 2013, officials said on Tuesday. The agency has also named T Chandini, the then director in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, for favouring the company as member secretary of the Expert Appraisal Committee ((EAC) in allowing mining in the Talabira-I mine in the critically polluted area of Odisha's Jharsuguda in violation of ministry guidelines, they said. The central probe agency registered an FIR against Hindalco and Chandini under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act after a nearly eight-year-long preliminary inquiry. Reacting to the FIR, a Hindalco spokesperson said, "This is an old matter pertaining to 2014-15. These mines were de-allocated as part of the government's de-allocation process. This is a matter o

Delhi excise policy case: SC to hear Sisodia's bail pleas on August 5

The Supreme Court on Monday said it would hear on August 5 pleas filed by AAP leader Manish Sisodia, seeking bail in corruption and money-laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju told the bench that while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed its response on Sisodia's plea, it had not come on record. He said the counter affidavit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was ready and it would be filed soon. Raju also raised preliminary objections on Sisodia's pleas and said it was the second special leave petition challenging the same Delhi High Court order. "The same order can't be challenged twice," the law officer said. Sisodia had earlier moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court's May 21 order dismissing his bail pleas. He had challenged in the high court a trial court's April 30 order rejecting his ba

US Sen Menendez is resigning from office after his corruption conviction

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez is resigning from office Aug. 20 following his conviction for taking bribes for corrupt acts including acting as an agent of the Egyptian government, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Menendez had insisted after the July 16 verdict that he was innocent and promised to appeal. The person who told the AP about Menendez's resignation did so on the condition of anonymity because the New Jersey Democrat's decision hadn't been made public. Menendez's attorney hasn't returned messages seeking comment. The resignation gives New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, the ability to appoint someone to the senate for the remainder of Menendez's term, which expires on Jan. 3. The seat was already up for election on Nov. 5. Democrats have nominated U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, who's in strong position in the Democratic-leaning state. He faces Republican Curtis Bashaw. Menendez, 70, was convicted of charges that he sold the power of his office to

Ex-Indonesian agriculture minister sentenced to 10 years for corruption

Indonesia's anti-graft court sentenced a former agriculture minister to 10 years in prison Thursday after finding him guilty of corruption-related extortion, abuse of power and bribery involving ministry contracts with private vendors. The case has tarnished President Joko Widodo's credibility in fighting corruption. Five other members of Widodo's Cabinet have been sentenced to prison terms in corruption cases, casting a shadow over his efforts to clean up government while his term will end in October. The court in the capital, Jakarta, ruled that the former Cabinet minister, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, was guilty of abusing his power by enriching himself and other officials. It also ordered him to pay a 300 million rupiah ($18,500) fine, and said he would be subject to another four months' imprisonment if he fails to pay. The defendant has legally and convincingly been proven guilty of corruption, presiding Judge Rianto Adam Pontoh said. He wasn't a good example as a public official, what

Malaysian court denies ex-PM Najib's bid to serve sentence in house arrest

A Malaysian court on Wednesday dismissed a bid by imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve his remaining corruption sentence under house arrest. In an April application, Najib said he had clear information that then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah issued an addendum order allowing him to finish his sentence under house arrest. Najib claimed the addendum was issued during a Jan 29 pardons board meeting chaired by Sultan Abdullah, which also cut his 12-year jail sentence by half and sharply reduced a fine. Najib's counsel, Mohamed Shafee Abdullah, said it was disappointing for the High Court to rule Wednesday that the government has no legal duty to verify if such an order existed. He said they would file an appeal. The court said there is no legal duty but in terms of ethics, the government should have answered, Shafee told a news conference at the court building. In his application, Najib has accused the pardons board, home minister, attorney-general and four ..

Delhi HC asks CBI to answer Kejriwal's plea against arrest in excise scam

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the CBI to respond to a plea by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest in a corruption case related to the excise policy 'scam'. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and asked it to file its reply within seven days. The high court said Kejriwal's counsel may file rejoinder, if any, within two days thereafter. It listed the matter for arguments on July 17. Besides his arrest, the AAP national convener has also challenged the trial court's June 26 and June 29 orders by which he was remanded to three-day CBI custody and judicial custody till July 12 respectively. Kejriwal, 55, was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he was in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Gujarat game zone blaze: Rajkot chief fire officer, deputy CFO arrested

The Rajkot Municipal Corporation's chief fire officer and deputy CFO were arrested on Saturday in connection with the massive blaze at a game zone here on May 25, which resulted in the deaths of 27 persons, including children. CFO Ilesh Kher and Deputy CFO Bhikha Theba as well as Mahesh Rathod, who was the supervisor of the fabrication work going on at the ill-fated TRP Game Zone, were arrested, the official said. "Theba is already in jail in connection with a corruption case and his custody was taken through a transfer warrant. With this, we have so far arrested 15 persons in connection with the blaze," he said. Kher was accused of not inquiring about whether the unit possessed a valid fire NOC certificate as well as proper fire fighting equipment after a similar blaze broke out during welding work at TRP game zone on September 4 last year, a statement from the police said. Rathod was held for alleged negligence in his duty and not ensuring proper safety during the welding work, .