Rudolf Elmer, the Swiss whistleblower who has been pursued by Swiss courts for a decade and served over half a year in prison while accused of (according to Switzerland's peculiar courts) violating the Swiss banking secrecy law, now faces two more court trials: one, on June 23rd, as part of the … [Read more...]
Corruption
Switzerland is handing back looted money. How big a deal is this?
In the context of a fun Twitter fight and finger-pointing between the Swiss Bankers' Association and the German Finance Ministry, there's a newish story on Quartz entitled Swiss bankers swear they are trying to help Africa get its dirty money back. It begins like this: "It irritates Valentin … [Read more...]
TJN sparring partner caught up in Panama Papers scandal
Back in 2005 a lobby group in Washington, D.C. issued a press release entitled Tax Justice Network Sides with Europe's Tax Collectors, Ignores Critical Role of Low-Tax Jurisdiction in Protecting Human Rights and Promoting Pro-Growth Policy. The bizarre press release accused us of putting at risk … [Read more...]
Quote of the day – London and money laundering
From London's new mayor, Sadiq Khan: “I have got nothing against luxury properties being built in London. What we can’t have is London being the world’s capital for money laundering.” Ten years ago, who could have predicted this kind of comment? See more here. Just for instance. … [Read more...]
Want to end corruption? Crack down on tax havens.
That headline comes from an opinion piece just in the Washington Post, written by Nicholas Shaxson, a TJN writer. Among other things, it's searching for deeper understandings of corruption that capture its systemic effects on rules, systems and institutions. "Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe … [Read more...]
Liberia’s mysterious company registry system
Our friends and colleagues at Finance Uncovered have written a fascinating story entitled Liberia: America’s outpost of financial secrecy, which has been published today in South Africa’s Daily Maverick in cooperation with AmaBhungane. We'd urge you to read the whole fascinating story of … [Read more...]
Three lessons on the hidden cost of corruption – for the West
A guest blog by Sigrún Davíðsdóttir Corruption and corrupt business practices have often been portrayed as a problem only endured by poor countries, of little consequence to the developed West. The three following stories show that this is a wrong-headed, old-fashioned understanding, reflecting … [Read more...]
Britain’s secrecy web: no corpses on the street, no problem
On the occasion of a global anti-corruption summit in London, Tom Burgis has written a superb long investigation into the City of London for the Financial Times -- read it, if you can get a copy. As a teaser: "For Andrea, the contrast between the American and British responses to BSI’s … [Read more...]
The Economist – How to crack a shell
We love this cartoon from this week's edition of The Economist, which comes from a lengthy article about the forthcoming anti-corruption summit in London. … [Read more...]
Tax Justice Focus – The Corruption Issue
As Britain prepares to host a global Corruption Summit in London next week, the Panama Papers have raised awkward questions about the country's role as an enabler of transnational organised crime. Meanwhile evidence is emerging that ordinary people in Britain no longer accept the elites' version of … [Read more...]
TJN Annual Discussion Workshop on Corruption and the Role of Tax Havens – programme
Discussion Workshop Corruption and the Role of Tax Havens #tjn16 City University, London, 28th – 29th April 2016 Oliver Thompson Lecture Theatre, Northampton Square EC1V 0HB FINAL PROGRAMME … [Read more...]
Guest blog: Panama, the secret garden of the Colombian oligarchy
Update: Colombia and Panama reach agreement on information-sharing. Panama, the secret garden of the Colombian oligarchy This guest blog is written by a political news writer in Colombia, who wishes to remain anonymous. As everywhere else in the world, the disclosure of the Mossack Fonseca … [Read more...]
Area more than three times the size of Greater London owned in UK by secret companies in offshore tax havens
From Global Witness (no further comment from us is needed): Area more than three times the size of Greater London owned by secret companies in offshore tax havens An area of British land more than three times the size of Greater London is owned by secret companies in offshore jurisdictions like … [Read more...]
Taxing tax havens – Foreign Affairs article
TJN Senior Adviser James S. Henry has an article in the latest edition of Foreign Affairs entitled Taxing Tax Havens: How to Respond to the Panama Papers. It makes the point, as we have, that the tax havens are about so much more than tax, and then adds that much of the wealth supposedly stashed in … [Read more...]
Why Infantino’s claims he did nothing wrong are wrong
Cross-posted from our partner website The Offshore Game Infantino’s involvement in a dodgy deal over Champion’s league TV rights are no proof of corruption, but at a minimum they are proof that he is completely unfit to lead FIFA into a new era of transparency and accountability. … [Read more...]
