#graft fraud and corruption

[sawbuckplus]

of course it did.

Graft, fraud, and corruption cost money.

[unicornheadnebula]

The Tammany Machine And The Evolution of Machine Politics

The “Tammany Machine,” also known as Tammany Hall, was a powerful and notorious political organization that operated in New York City for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. It played a significant role in shaping the city’s politics and had a reputation for corruption, patronage, and machine politics. Here are some key points about the Tammany Machine: Origins: Tammany Hall was founded…

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“ONTARIO RELIEF FOOD PURCHASED IN QUEBEC IS NORTH BAY CLAIM,” Toronto Star. February 24, 1933. Page 1.  ---- Merchants Not on "Inside Track" Say They're Just Ignored --- ABUSES ARE MANY ---- Certain Landlords and Retailers Reputedly Can Keep Men on Road Work ---- Special to The Star Sudbury, Feb. 24. Abuses complained of in connection with the handling of the Northern Development road work by the Ontario government are not confined to any one district. The conditions are wide- spread, according to a survey of the country around Sudbury, St. Charles, Warren, Sturgeon Falls, North Bay, Corbeil and other areas during the past couple of weeks. 

Details vary. But almost everywhere appears the settled conviction on the part of favorites who have secured road positions through their Conservative affiliations, that they are safe to indulge their prejudices for and against people as they choose -to distribute favors at will, without regard to the interests of people of northern Ontario as a whole, or to the waste of public funds involved. 

And in each section there is the same story of men drinking on and off the job; of settlers and farmers having their valuable gravel and till taken without payment being made for it, while their neighbors who hap pen to be in the charmed circle of favoritism receive payment in full;

[atwellfilm]

Grace: You did it.

Ethan: I called the police. I didn't tell them of your colorful past. This is your fault.

Grace's colorful past

Fraud, jewelry theft, art theft, corruption, extortion, resisting arresto, graft, abduction, blackmail, organized crime, grand larceny

Grace: I did not do it 🥺

[mariacallous]

Twenty years after the American-led invasion, Iraq’s seventh prime minister, Mohammad Al-Sudani, has declared corruption to be one of the biggest challenges facing the nation, describing it as “no less serious than the threat of terrorism.” Many of Iraq’s 43 million citizens agree with Sudani, as evidenced by both public opinion polling and by widespread protest movements, but few connect the crisis of corruption with the 2003 war and subsequent American occupation. Iraqis largely pin the blame on the power-sharing agreement that props up their government and on the obscenely wealthy members of the political elite.

However, Iraq’s struggle with corruption — and specifically public sector corruption — can be traced back to occupation-era reconstruction policies and to Baathist-era patronage. In reconstructing Iraq, the United States scattered unregulated and unmonitored money at many projects and, in the process, unleashed a thirst for graft and easy money at nearly every level of government, and even arguably in civil society organizations. As the Sudani administration seeks to improve public services and infrastructure to appease disillusioned citizens, it must break the patterns of post-reconstruction corruption.

Corruption and the selective distribution of public services certainly existed prior to the invasion under Saddam Hussein’s regime. In 1968, Iraq’s Baath Party gained control of Iraq through a coup, and subsequently invested heavily in public service provision fueled by oil revenues. However, the decline in oil revenue in the 1980s, the war with Iran, and economic reform measures greatly reduced the Iraqi government’s spending on public services. The 1990 Gulf War and ensuing sanctions further decimated state infrastructure, particularly the electric grid and water networks. By the end of the 90s, most Iraqi households did not have consistent access to electricity and rates of malnutrition skyrocketed, especially among children.

In these difficult circumstances, the “Oil-for-Food” program allowed for the sale of Iraqi oil in exchange for humanitarian support. The program was beset by massive fraud by Iraqi officials, international companies, and United Nations personnel. Within Iraq, Saddam and his circle reaped the majority of benefits from this program and new patterns of corruption emerged during the sanctions period. The massive rise in unemployment spurred an increase in Iraqi bureaucrats charging for access to public services during the 1990s, a pattern that continues to this day.

However, the influx of aid for reconstruction post-2003 and lack of accountability for contracting and spending brought corruption in Iraq’s public sector to new extremes. The invasion was followed by a large-scale reconstruction effort by the occupying U.S.-led coalition, the new Iraqi government, and a range of international donors. From 2003 to 2014, more than $220 billion was spent on reconstruction alone, including over $74 billion in foreign aid. In addition to violence and the exclusion of Iraqis undermining reconstruction, rebuilding efforts were hampered by massively wasteful spending and corruption at every level.

A significant number of aid project contractors, Iraqi officials, and U.S. personnel directly engaged in corruption while implementing reconstruction projects. Reports have documented cases of U.S. contractors and personnel committing outright theft of aid and implementing kickback schemes. Both international and domestic contractors were able to reap benefits from aid projects by overcharging project fees and engaging in waste and overspending. The U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction report estimated that at least $8 billion of the more than $60 billion for reconstruction was outright wasted.

While gains were made in rehabilitating destroyed or deeply undermined public infrastructure, such as the health system and electric grid, they took place over far longer timelines than initially planned and at far higher costs. Instead, the postwar reconstruction funding surge reinforced the perception that aid projects specifically and public services more broadly could be sources of individual and connection-based profit with little consequence. While many cases of U.S. contractor and personnel fraud were prosecuted, many were likely not due to poor record-keeping by the U.S. government that made knowing the exact extent of fraud and waste impossible. In Iraq, anti-corruption initiatives put in place following the invasion proved to be a weak barrier against government and ministry officials protecting individuals from accountability based on sect and party membership.

Iraqi officials within the public sector widely solicited bribes in crucial sectors such as health and electricity with limited accountability from either the government or the donors bankrolling public services. While this pattern predated the invasion, it was deeply exacerbated in the post-2003 period with the influx of funding. As Iraq expert Abbas Kadhim wrote in 2010, the U.S.-backed legal system enabled sectarian parties to protect corrupt officials at every level from accountability. Violence against and assassinations of anti-corruption officials proved another deadly challenge. In 2006, for example, Deputy Minister of Health Ammar Al-Saffar was kidnapped and killed by an armed group that controlled the Ministry of Health because of an anti-corruption investigation he was heading.

Key ministries in the post-reconstruction period were staffed on the basis of political ties rather than competency. As a result, aid-funded reconstruction projects were often mismanaged once completed and handed over to the government. Even many projects highlighted as successes were found to be nonfunctional or poorly maintained due to both corruption and the exclusion of Iraqis from decisionmaking processes. Over the years, Iraq’s public sector became a tool of patronage with the increase in the number of elite civil servant positions (“special grades”) for party loyalists. This has historical roots — political science research has demonstrated that in the 1990s, individuals from Saddam’s hometown of Tikrit were employed at higher rates in the public sector compared to the rest of the population.

Twenty years after the war, public services in Iraq remain deeply damaged by patterns of elite corruption entrenched in the postwar period. A PLOS study found that of the approximately 405,000 excess deaths resulting from the war between 2003-11, a third were because of failures of infrastructure such as sanitation, transportation, and health. A recent report by Will Todman and Lubna Yousef from the Center for Strategic and International Studies highlights how political factions receive kickbacks from public electricity projects. Already-common electrical outages are worsening, and the majority of Iraqis do not have power for half of the day. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, 3.2 million school-age children do not attend school. Iraq’s public sector was ranked as the 23rd most corrupt in the world in 2022 — an improvement from when it was tied as the second-most in 2006. The situation has prompted protests in recent years, particularly among youth frustrated with corruption’s impacts on public services and the economy.

Today, Iraq has $115 billion in foreign reserves and the Council of Ministers approved a budget (now pending parliamentary approval) of $152 billion. These are the highest numbers that Iraq has witnessed in its post-2003 history and represent an opportunity for long-term investment in the country’s infrastructure and public services. However, these numbers also risk inspiring more graft. After all, it was only a few months ago under the Kadhimi administration that $2.5 billion went missing from state-owned banks in what journalists dubbed “the heist of the century.”

What can be reasonably done to protect Iraq’s wealth for its people? Fighting corruption is both a preventive and reactive exercise, and experts have long called for redoubled efforts on anti-corruption initiatives in Iraq. Research from other contexts such as James Loxton’s study of Panama has promoted ideas including the creation of “islands of integrity” that protect key public institutions even amid broader systemic corruption. The Century Foundation’s Sajad Jiyad put forth concrete recommendations including building an anti-corruption network of civil society members and politicians and strengthening domestic institutions such as the Integrity Commission.

Other Iraq analysts have recommended transitioning the country away from a cash-based economy. The Sudani administration has started to work on this under pressure from the United States — though the United States was directly involved in setting up Iraq’s banking sector and in organizing the dollar auction that later became a money laundering vehicle for neighboring Iran and Turkey. Finally, Iraqi governments have come to view Iraq’s oil wealth as unregulated and political parties and armed groups have actively fought against any regulation. This wealth, which has been used as a tool of patronage in Baathist and post-Baathist Iraq, must be regulated by the Iraqi people if Iraq has any chance of overcoming corruption.

As the popular saying in the Arabic-speaking world goes: “loose money teaches theft.” Iraq post-2003 is a prime example of this. The long-term effects of the flood of money during the reconstruction period were to help establish the public sector as a center of corruption. Understanding the patterns of corruption entrenched during reconstruction is an important part of helping Iraq undertake much-needed public sector reform to build functioning public services for its citizens.

[intothenoise]

Prophecy vs. the Prophetic: A Mid-Lenten Reflection

It has become an unfortunate truism that so many of those who obsess over “prophecy” never truly wrestle with the words of the prophets. One might read the following text as predictive of what will happen:

“Someday, O Israel, I will gather you; I will gather the remnant who are left.”  —Micah 2:12 (NLT)

Yet, wholly ignore its context:

What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out, simply because you have the power to do so. When you want a piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone’s house, you take it by fraud and violence. You cheat a man of his property, stealing his family’s inheritance. —Micah 2:1–2 (NLT) 

Though first proclaimed millennia ago, the above words of the prophet Micah present a stunningly accurate depiction of our contemporary realities. The passage presents us with an image of those in power conspiring to use that power to defraud others of their land, homes, and inheritance. It presents us with a social order built upon graft and exploitation in which the entire political-economic system is manipulated, “rigged,” to favor those who would use their power to expropriate the property of others. We might easily call these the vulture capitalists of their day and age. Yet, it can just as easily serve as a scathing rebuke of Israeli apartheid, of the settler movement and the entire institutional-legal apparatus constructed to support it. 

The prophet, meanwhile, goes on:

“Don’t say such things, their “prophets” prophecy. Don’t prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!” Should you talk that way, O house of Jacob? Will the Lord’s Spirit have patience with such behavior? If you would do what is right, you would find my words comforting. Yet to this very hour my people rise against me like an enemy! You steal the shirts right off the backs of those who trusted you, making them as ragged as men returning from battle. You have evicted women from their pleasant homes and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them.  Up! Begone! This is no longer your land and home, for you have filled it with sin and ruined it completely. Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!” That’s just the kind of prophet you would like! —Micah 2:6–11 (NLT) 

It is crucial to see how the passage highlights the existence of a false religio-prophetic establishment working to provide ideological cover for the corruption and exploitative practices of the powers that be. As Walter Brueggemann tells us,

It was, in that ancient context, difficult to construe reality outside the blueprints that had been constructed by the powerful. That construed reality, blessed by establishment religion, assured itself of an entitlement by God as God’s chosen people that could count on security and certainty with no serious threat or vulnerability. But these prophets knew that that claim was not a given grounded in God; it was a self-serving construction.

Far too often in the course of ecclesial history, our leaders and institutions have stood with the status quo and allied themselves with the power brokers of the day. Not only this, our own "court prophets" construct ideological justifications for the violence of the powerful and of the privileges accrued to them in return. Listening to the voice of the prophets, however, and recognizing how often Jesus draws from them in his life and ministry, will dispel us of any notion that God stands with the status quo. And, as we reflect upon the way of the cross this Lenten season, we recognize that it is only by divesting ourselves of our complicity in the privilege that comes with power and its abuse that we can begin to understand the cruciform way of the messiah. 

For this reason, I cannot fathom the twisted logic of those religious settlers or their Christian Zionist financiers who believe that this entire enterprise, built from its origins upon colonial violence and theft, somehow represents the will of God. It is this logic which leads to what we saw during the tragic pogrom in Huwara, when the settler mob paused its violent rampage to engage in evening prayers, as the village burned behind them. I can only imagine what the biblical prophets would say in response. Even so, an entire theo-political edifice has been constructed to extract wealth from churches, synagogues, and faith-based charities across the country and channel it to this violent settler-colonial enterprise. Two recent films, “‘Till Kingdom Come” and “Israelism,” dramatically highlight such realities. Of course, I must also consider the twisted theological logic of "manifest destiny" with which my own nation set out to conquer, cleanse, and colonize North America by way of fraud and violence, defrauding its natives and those abducted to work its land of their rightful inheritance. 

Ultimately, it is our responsibility as followers of Jesus, or as anyone who would seek to stand in the tradition of the biblical prophets, to speak up and out against any and all forms of violence and exploitation—as well as their ideological enablers. It was so heartening to witness rabbis with Jewish Voice for Peace engaging in civil disobedience as well as the young women and men of If Not Now lead a Jewish prayer service, as an act of protest against the visit of Smotrich and of his genocidal designs, in D.C. this past weekend. For us, as a Christian Voice for Palestine, our mission at Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) is not only to stand firmly against injustice but also actively work to deconstruct those ideological and theological justifications that prop up regimes of violence and dispossession. This, we do as we positively proclaim the authentic good news that is Christ's liberating reign. This is the way, al-Sabeel. 

I close therefore with the following plea, adapted from the Book of Common Prayer: 

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people of the land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these, our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

*Adapted from: Wheeler, Jesse Steven. Serving a Crucified King: Meditations on Faith, Politics, and the Unyielding Pursuit of God’s Reign. Resource Publications, 2021.

**Posted originally at: www.fosna.org

[ericalto]

South Korea's Yoon will be arrested at the appointed time, the anti-graft chief says | Political news

The Office for Corruption Investigation warns that anyone who resists arrest could be prosecuted. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will be arrested before the warrant issued for his short-term declaration of martial law expires next week, the country’s chief anti-corruption investigator said. Oh Dong-woon, head of the Office of Fraud Investigation for senior officials, told reporters on…

[gurutrends]

Vietnamese real estate tycoon sentenced to life for billions in fraud in government graft crackdown

A Vietnamese real estate tycoon was convicted Thursday of fraudulently obtaining property worth billions of dollars and sentenced to life in prison, in a case that has been a centerpiece of the government’s crackdown on corruption. Truong My Lan was already convicted in April by the same Ho Chi Minh City court of fraud amounting to $12.5 billion — nearly 3% of the country’s gross domestic product…

[ejesgistnews]

EFCC's Official Twitter Account Hacked and Deleted by Suspected Yahoo Boys.   The official Twitter account of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), now known as "X," has reportedly been hacked and deleted by suspected Yahoo boys. A check by Ejes Gist News has confirmed that the EFCC's official X handle, previously accessible at https://x.com/officialEFCC/, is currently unavailable or has been deleted.   Breaking: Three Nigerian Presidential Jets Seized by Chinese Firm   As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC has not released an official statement regarding the breach. The deletion of the EFCC's X account is a significant blow to the anti-graft agency, which has used the platform extensively to communicate with the public, share updates on ongoing investigations, and promote its anti-corruption campaigns.   The motive behind the hacking and subsequent deletion of the account remains unclear, but the involvement of Yahoo boys—known for their cybercrime activities—points to a possible retaliatory act against the agency's relentless crackdown on internet fraud.   Wigwe University Massive Recruitment for Non-Academic Staff   Ejes Gist News reports that the authorities are expected to launch a thorough investigation into the incident, aiming to identify those responsible and restore the EFCC's online presence. Meanwhile, the public is urged to disregard any unofficial accounts or misinformation that may arise during this period of disruption.   This news Nigeria platform understands that this hacking incident underscores the growing threat of cyberattacks against government institutions in Nigeria and the need for enhanced security protocols to safeguard digital assets and maintain public trust

[tracknews1]

Anti-Graft Agency, EFCC Receives Petition To Investigate Unity Bank Former Chairman For Alleged Fraud

…..The petition, signed by GICN Chairman, Board of Trustees, and President, Edward Omaga, dated 11th of July alleged that Etuh committed the offences during his tenure as Chairman of Unity Bank’s Board of Directors between January 23, 2015, and October 4, 2017. An anti-corruption organisation, the Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission…

[milimartel]

Trump, the Lying Crook

Trump cannot hide his crooked ways in spite of President Biden errors. Trump says he stands for law and order, then makes all sorts of threats of disorder. He supports Supreme Court justices who wallow in all the “gifts,” of graft from influences. Graft is fraud. He is clearly suffering from dementia and has been for years. His speeches and his social media rants are more and more often full of "babble." He is a corrupt and fraudulent business person. And there is more?

[sublimeobservationarcade]

US Supreme Court Slow Walks Trump Immunity Claim Appeal & Stay

SCOTUS has virtually guaranteed that Donald Trump will not be tried for election subversion prior to the Presidential election of 2024. US Supreme Court slow walks Trump immunity claim appeal and stay from prosecution. By deciding to take the case it has undermined the unanimous denial of Trump’s claims by the federal court of appeals. The stacking of SCOTUS with conservative GOP aligned justices by Trump is obviously paying benefits. The legal rule of law was really the last hope for America in holding Donald Trump accountable for attempts to subvert the Constitution in 2020. The US is now an international disgrace and no longer can be considered a leading democratic nation. “The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be tried on criminal charges that he conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election. In a one-page unsigned order, the justices ordered a federal appeals court to continue to keep on hold its ruling rejecting Trump’s claims of immunity from prosecution, and they fast-tracked the case for oral argument in late April.” (https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/02/supreme-court-takes-up-trump-immunity-appeal/)

Democracy On Death Row Thanks To SCOTUS & Trump

It is a sad day for democratic Americans who believe in the rule of law. Wealth and influence have gazumped both the institutions of democracy and justice in the United States of America. A virtual mob boss and former President has grifted and grafted his way to another contest for the highest office in the land. Even though Trump says  the Presidency isn’t an officer of the nation and that any election he doesn’t win is rigged and the result of voter fraud. American democracy is a laughing stock because how can you have a candidate running who shows no respect for the electoral process! Corruption, bullying, and undue influence is so completely prevalent within the Republican Party that it is a one man show. There are no people of integrity or courage anywhere within the GOP. Russian subversion is an everyday occurrence within the Republican Party in this day and age. They have no shame and no real comprehension of how much they have lost the plot.

SCOTUS Delays & Slow Walking Trump Cases

It is patently obvious that former President Trump does not have complete immunity from prosecution for things like subverting the electoral process or murdering opponents. The federal court of appeals ruled unanimously against his appeals on this basis. SCOTUS could have refused to take the case and refused to grant a stay from the ongoing prosecution. That they have chosen to hear the case is all about delaying the trial. The American people deserve to know if the man standing for the Presidency is guilty of these indictments and only a fair trial would have decided this. Now, they will have to go to the polls without clarification on this crucial question.

Clarence & Ginny Thomas & Their Billionaire’s Big Money Influence Justice Clarence Thomas’ wife Ginny was involved in the Trump camp crimes and yet there is no evidence that Clarence Thomas has recused himself. Exposes have revealed billionaire Harlan Crow showering gifts and money on Clarence Thomas over many years. SCOTUS justices have little to no compunction to behave ethically by law in the US. It is another lack of oversight within the system. In America, if you reach the top you get to do whatever you want, it seems. Hard and fast laws are only for the little people, the poor, and the ordinary schmucks. Billionaires and their circle of friends are immune from prosecution in the US, by the evidence we are now witnessing. This is a republic of elites and oligarchs who sail above the illusion of democratic norms. Democracy is for suckers, according to Trump. Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of Money Matters: Navigating Credit, Debt, and Financial Freedom.  ©WordsForWeb Read the full article

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“Worst Frauds Are Over Rent,” Kingston Whig-Standard. January 18, 1933. Page 1. ---- Further Evidence in Relief Administration in Sturgeon Falls ---- STURGEON FALLS, Jan, 18 — "The worst frauds is the administration of relief moneys in Sturgeon Palls are in the payments of rentals and for shelter," declared W. H. Williams, K.C., counsel for the Royal Commission now investigating relief disbursements here. Shortly after the investigation resumed today Mr. Williams intimated he might "have to call most of the landlords in town to explain Irregularities." 

He was examining R. H. Bourassa, grocer, and casually asked who Mr. Bourassa’s landlord was.

"Mrs. S. Vannier,” replied witness.

Learning she was a large property owner, L. Spence, Government investigator looked up Mrs. Vannier’s name in the rent book to see if she was receiving money from the town.

He discovered one of her tenants whose rent was paid by the town was "S.Vannier."

"That's her husband," Mr Bouraasa told Judge J. M. Hall whois conducting the enquiry. 

"Does she live with him," asked Mr. Williams. "She did," witness replied. "He died last spring." 

The tenant in another house of Mrs. Vannier's to her son, Rod, and his rent is also paid by the town. 

Rod, it was learned, is steadily employed as a clerk In a local store. His rent amounted to $14.50 per month. 

"I don't know what to do with them landlords," said Mr. Williams. "We’ll have to bring them all in, I see. But what to going to be the consequences. What are we going to do with them? And the man who made all this up? If there's not a conspiracy here I don’t know.”

[christinamac1]

Pentagon investigating 50 cases of Ukraine military aid fraud

Rt.com 25 Feb 24 In one instance, shipping manifests were mysteriously changed before arms packages reached the country The Pentagon’s inspector general has opened more than 50 cases into possible “theft, fraud or corruption, and diversion” of military aid to Ukraine. Allegations of graft surfaced almost immediately after the aid began flowing to Kiev and Inspector General Robert Storch has…