Hi there,

This week we want to focus on Guatemala and Panama. 

The week started with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales doing what he said he would not: get in the way of anti-corruption investigations.

On Sunday he announced the expulsion of a UN-backed anti-corruption commissioner who heads the International Commission against Impunity, known as CICIG. The move was blocked by the Constitutional Court, which must have pleased some of the 3,000+ Guatemalans protesting their president's action. 

President Morales was fearful that he would come under investigation and that CICIG would also go after his family. Last week the public prosecutor had asked for his presidential immunity to be lifted so that allegedly suspect political contributions could be investigated.

CICIG started work in 2008 and is supporting the Guatemalan judiciary in its fight against endemic corruption. It has been successful. It has prosecuted powerful elites and even succeeded in putting the corrupt behind bars - including President Morales' predecessor. 

This model of having outside neutral actors help prosecute the corrupt is being duplicated in neighbouring Honduras. But, if it is seen that the organisation can be derailed by simply firing its boss – which President Morales tried to do – the model will not have success. 

Speaking of allegedly corrupt ex-presidents: remember Ricardo Martinelli, the former president of Panama, mentioned in last week’s newsletter? 

On Thursday, a US court ruled that Martinelli could be extradited to Panama, where he is facing charges of embezzlement and wire tapping. However, these are not the only charges that need investigating. He is also accused of dozens of other corrupt acts, including rigging tenders for public contracts.

Although Martinelli is expected to fight extradition, this first decision is a positive step towards bringing corrupt politicians to justice. There were also rulings this week against an Honduran and Nigerian ex-minister, showing that it is possible to confront the rich and powerful.

Improving Honduras’ health sector with Integrity Pacts

Association for a More Just Society (AJS), Transparency International’s chapter in Honduras, is working to ensure that no more people die as a result of corruption.

AJS, together with the Honduran Ministry of Health announced the implementation of “Integrity Pacts”, assuring greater transparency and accountability for all government purchases of medicines and medical supplies throughout the year.

Major disclosure to be revealed

Earlier this year we teamed up with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) to found the Global Anti-corruption Consortium. 

The idea is simple: take two organisations committed to creating impact for social good and fighting corruption and allow them to work together for greater impact.

This Monday 4 September at 7:00pm CET we will be releasing our first major joint investigation. Stay tuned! 

Corruption in the news this week

Focus on Kenyan elections

Kenya's Supreme Court has annulled the result of last month's presidential election, citing irregularities, and ordered a new one within 60 days. The ruling makes Kenya the first African country to have a presidential poll invalidated by a court. The election commission had declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta the winner by a margin of 1.4 million votes.

On August 8, millions of Kenyans formed long, orderly lines outside polling stations across the country to vote in presidential and local elections. Kenya is notorious for corruption, and virtually all prior elections had been marred by rigging. This time, however, the US and Kenya’s other donors had invested $24 million in an electronic vote-tallying system designed to prevent interference. But not everyone was happy.

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