Asset recovery in Nigeria: the good and the bad

Nigeria is likely one of the most politically active countries worldwide in its efforts to recover its assets looted through corruption. The current government of Muhammadu Buhari has particularly put the fight against corruption in Nigeria and the recovery of stolen assets at the forefront of its political agenda. Over the past three years, the Read more about Asset recovery in Nigeria: the good and the bad[…]

How Nigerians are raising their voice on asset recovery

CiFAR travelled to Nigeria last June to understand what civil society is doing to recover Nigerian stolen assets and to connect with them. It was a very inspiring experience to see many people who have no fear to raise their voice on how asset once stolen by corrupt officials and returned to Nigeria belong to Read more about How Nigerians are raising their voice on asset recovery[…]

1MDB Scandal: a timeline

Blog written and researched by Natalie Hawkins 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was a fund set up in 2009 by the former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. The purpose of the fund was to use public finances to promote economic development within Malaysia. This ongoing scandal first gained international attention in 2015 when Najib was Read more about 1MDB Scandal: a timeline[…]

Mozambique: The Hidden Debt Case

Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a GDP of US$11 billion in 2016. In the last year a US$2 billion case has embroiled the country and has the potential for far reaching consequences. The Hidden Debt case involved a confidential US$2 billion loan from the UK branches of the Swiss Bank Read more about Mozambique: The Hidden Debt Case[…]

Time’s up, but not for us.

It’s seven years ago today the Egyptian revolution, with all its hope and potential, its demand for justice and accountability, began.  A key component of that revolution was the demand for an end to corruption and a reckoning for the grand corruption that had taken place under the former regime, not least the prosecution and Read more about Time’s up, but not for us.[…]

Yemen’s frozen assets

Ali Abdallah Saleh is dead – what happens to his assets now? On the 4 December it was widely reported that the former President of Yemen, Ali Abdallah Saleh, had been killed in fighting with the Houti militia. Born in Sanaa’, much of Yemen’s recent history has been bound up with former President Saleh. With Read more about Yemen’s frozen assets[…]

Is Tunisia reconciliating with the corrupt?

Tunisia’s parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a controversial law granting “reconciliation” to public officials involved in corruption who served in government during the rule of the autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. This law, which for many critics is simply an amnesty for criminals and a way to rehabilitate Ben Ali’s allies back into Read more about Is Tunisia reconciliating with the corrupt?[…]

Montesinos is gone, but has Peru recovered all the money he stole?

More than a decade has past since Vladimiro Montesinos, head of Peru’s intelligence service and advisor to President Fujimori, received his first sentence for what would expand to be more than 30 convictions related to corruption. Montesinos, known as President Fujimori’s “Rasputin,” was charged for embezzlement, influence peddling, bribery and involvement in a death squad, Read more about Montesinos is gone, but has Peru recovered all the money he stole?[…]

A model case of public asset theft?

One could argue that former Ukrainian president Yanukovych is a model case for major public asset theft, how to profit from the secrecy of the global financial system and on the failures and hurdles in recovering those assets. Money, money, money, money While credible estimates are as always difficult, if not impossible to make, it Read more about A model case of public asset theft?[…]

Karimova, corruption and communications

The ongoing case of asset recovery and Uzbekistan Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of the former President of Uzbekistan and once the international face of her father’s regime, was put under house arrest in 2014 and is now the subject of court cases from the US to the Netherlands and Switzerland over the alleged US $1 Read more about Karimova, corruption and communications[…]