News – Page 25

Audit Exposes $116M in Unfinished Nigerian Government Contracts

More than $99 million was spent on contracts that were incomplete or not delivered, violating rules that bar payments for undelivered services. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) were among the entities identified as having irregularities in their financial practices. A separate 2023from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) estimated that public officials received over $1.26 billion in bribes. The average cash bribe increased significantly since 2019, amounting to 0.35% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Source: OCCRP, 2024-11-26; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/audit-exposes-116m-in-unfinished-nigerian-government-contracts

Suspect Arrested in Cross-Border Balkan Drug Smuggling Probe

Law enforcement in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday conducted searches across the country. One person suspected of heading an organized crime group that shipped large quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe via the Balkans. The operation, conducted under the auspices of Europol, spanned Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia and targeted suspects who used maritime shipping to transport cocaine and communicated for an extended period using the encrypted app SKY Ecc. The State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) said certain items were discovered and seized.

Source: OCCRP, 2024-11-28; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/suspect-arrested-in-cross-border-balkan-drug-smuggling-probe

Identity Fraud in Africa Rises Sharply, Deepfakes Lead

Nigeria is Africa’s leading hotspot, accounting for 5.91 percent of the region’s fraud activity. Globally, fraud rates surged across all regions in 2024. The Middle East experienced the most dramatic increase, with cases skyrocketing by 643 percent, followed by Africa at 393 percent and Latin America and the Caribbean at 255 percent. The report highlights various forms of identity fraud dominating the landscape, including fake documents, chargeback fraud, account takeovers, and deepfake-based scams.

Source: OCCRP, 2024-11-25; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/identity-fraud-in-africa-rises-sharply-deepfakes-lead

Sanctions Bypassed: Belarus’ Microchip Pipeline to Russia

Belarusian companies are secretly supplying Russia with advanced Western-made microchips, according to the Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC) This finding was made with the assistance of a group of Belarusian hackers known as CyberPartisans. Among the exported components are the U.S.-made Intel chips found in Russian Su-35S and Su-34 fighter jets, Kalibr cruise missiles, and Korsar drones. Despite Western bans, Belarusian firms capitalize on loopholes to sustain Moscow’s military aggression.

Source: OCCRP, 2024-11-28; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/sanctions-bypassed-belarus-microchip-pipeline-to-russia

The Buro: Owners of EU Microprocessor Plant Shipped Chips to Russia Despite Sanctions

Microchip firm SMD Baltic publicly condemned the invasion and stated that it would no longer take orders from Russian or Belarussian firms. But the firm reportedly continued to export Western-made chips tousing a secretive network of companies. By the time theand banned the sale of microchips to Russia in late 2022, NEK had devised new supply chains through Kazakhstan, Turkey, and China. The Russian firm imported $1.3 million worth of electronic components int he year before the ban.

Source: OCCRP, 2024-11-25; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/the-buro-owners-of-eu-microprocessor-plant-shiped-chips-to-russia-despite-sanctions

UN: Criminals in SE Asia Exploit Telegram for Fraud, Scams

UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned that underground data markets are migrating to Telegram. Report also highlights Southeast Asia’s growing role as a major hub for a multibillion-dollar industry driven by global fraud schemes. Many of these operations are run by Chinese syndicates from heavily fortified compounds staffed by trafficked workers. The UNODC estimates that these fraudulen are worth an estimated $1.5 billion. Thefollows legal charges against Telegram’S founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, in France, where he is accused of enabling criminal activity.

Source: OCCRP, 2024-10-10; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/telegram-enables-se-asian-crime-networks-un-warns

TI: G20 Commitments Undermined by Neglect of Corruption

Transparency International criticized the G20 Rio Summit’s final declaration for dedicating just one paragraph to anti-corruption measures. This omission threatens to derail efforts to mobilize the billions, or even trillions of dollars pledged for poverty reduction and climate action. “Leaders advanced on important topics, but they underestimated the importance of anti- corruption measures to achieve these goals,” said Maíra Martini, TI’s Head of Policy and Advocacy. Without concrete checks, the G 20 risks exacerbating inequality instead of reducing it.

Source: OCCRP, 2024-11-25; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/ti-g20-commitments-undermined-by-neglect-of-corruption

Sanctions Bypassed: Belarus’ Microchip Pipeline to Russia

Source: OCCRP, 2024-11-28; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/sanctions-bypassed-belarus-microchip-pipeline-to-russia

Brazilian Municipal Candidates Accused of Modern Slavery

The Ministry of Labor and Employment of Brazil updates its so-calledevery six months, most recently on October 7. The latest list includes two municipal councilors who were re-elected on October 6, along with two candidates who failed to win seats. Eduardo Ribeiro Lima was elected for the ninth time in Beberibe, a city in the northeastern state of Ceará. The MTE said 22 workers on his cashew plantation were subjected to “conditions analogous to slavery.”

Source: OCCRP, 2024-10-15; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/brazilian-municipal-candidates-accused-of-modern-slavery

Latvian Mansion of Uzbek Ex-Interpol Chief to Become Kindergarten

Yury Savnikov was arrested in Moscow in 2015 and later extradited to Tashkent. He faced charges of illegal business operations, money laundering, abuse of power, and corruption. Latvian authorities also confiscated over US$150,000 from two bank accounts, securities, and four real estates. The Ropazi County Council is now assessing one of these seized properties, with plans to transform the mansion into a children’s facility. The municipality has yet to determine the funding required to meet the necessary educational and safety standards.

Source: OCCRP, 2024-09-18; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/latvian-mansion-of-uzbek-ex-interpol-chief-to-become-kindergarten

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