This blog is a part of our Ukraine series – written and researched by Michael Howard. The day Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia in 2014 the entire Ukrainian treasury had a few thousand dollars. During 4 years in power, he and his cronies allegedly looted billions from the country (some say as much as Read more about The NeverEnding Story: the Yanukovych asset recovery[…]
Asset recovery is often between rich Western states that harbour illicit wealth and poorer countries rebuilding after a change in regime or dealing with a large corruption scandal whose former leaders have stolen public funds. It is not always the case though, with recovery taking place regularly on the basis of organized crime between different Read more about Returning to Germany: East German cash and Swiss Banks[…]
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[…]
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[…]
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 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[…]
This week, the Obiang case which took place in France in 2017 and resulted in the son of the President of Equatorial Guinea being given a suspended jail sentence, the confiscation of assets worth €107 million and a €30 million fine, goes in front of the International Court of Justice. What is the International Court Read more about Obiang at the International Court of Justice[…]
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.[…]
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[…]
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?[…]