Tag: Corruption

  • Pakistani court indicts Imran Khan in Toshakhana corruption case

    Pakistani court indicts Imran Khan in Toshakhana corruption case

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    Islamabad: A Pakistani court on Wednesday indicted Imran Khan in the Toshakhana corruption case, in fresh trouble for the former prime minister who was arrested by paramilitary Rangers a day earlier from the Islamabad High Court premises.

    Khan, 70, has been in the dock for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch, he received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana and selling them for profit.

    Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.

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    On Wednesday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman was indicted in the Toshakhana case. The charge sheet was read out to Khan in the courtroom.

    Khan was present in the District and Sessions Court where judge Humayun Dilawar conducted the hearing. Khan has denied any wrongdoing.

    The case was filed last year by the Election Commission of Pakistan and Khan had skipped several hearings in the past months.

    It alleges that Khan had “deliberately concealed” details of the gifts he retained from the Toshaskhana – a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept – during his time as the prime minister and proceeds from their reported sales.

    Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in October last year for not sharing details of the sales. The election body later filed a complaint with the district court to punish him, under criminal laws, for selling the gifts he had received as prime minister of the country.

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    #Pakistani #court #indicts #Imran #Khan #Toshakhana #corruption #case

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Cong ups attack on BJP, shares ‘rate card of corruption in Karnataka’

    Cong ups attack on BJP, shares ‘rate card of corruption in Karnataka’

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    New Delhi: With just a few days to go for the May 10 assembly elections in Karnataka, the Congress on Friday targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the issue of corruption, and also released a “rate card” of alleged corruption in the southern state.

    The Congress first shared the rate card from the official Twitter handle of the party in a bid to scale up attacks on the issue of corruption.

    In the post, the Congress alleged that the Karnataka Chief Minister’s post was up for grabs for Rs 2,500 crore and the rate of ministerial posts was Rs 500 crore.

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    Sharing the post on Twitter, the party wrote, “Kannadigas! Here is the corruption rate card of the ‘TROUBLE ENGINE’ 40% Sarkara.”

    The post also highlighted figures for “Appointment and Transfer Rates”, “Job Rates”, and alleged commission for government deals.

    Following the party’s stand, even former Congress president Rahul Gandhi also shared the post and targeted the BJP, saying “trouble Engine BJP is in love with the number 40, people of Karnataka will give them 40 seats only”.

    In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said: “BJP’s 40% Commission Sarkara’s ‘Rate Card’! ‘Trouble Engine’ BJP is in love with the number 40, people of Karnataka will give them 40 seats only!”

    The Congress and Rahul Gandhi has been attacking the BJP over the alleged corruption in the BJP government in the state.

    Last year, the Congress launched PayCM campaign in the state to highlight the alleged corruption.

    The Congress has been campaigning aggressively in Karnataka and has cornered the BJP on issues of corruption and several other matters.

    The Congress released its manifesto on Tuesday and also announced several promises for the people of the state.

    The party also promised to repeal, within one year of coming to power, “all unjust laws and other anti-people laws” passed by the BJP government in the state.

    To woo the voters in the state, Congress announced Gruha Jyothi (200 units of free electricity), Gruha Lakshmi – Rs 2,000 monthly to every woman head of the family, Anna Bhagya – 10 kg of food grains of their choice (among rice, ragi, jowar, millet) to every person in a BPL family.

    The election for the 224-member assembly is scheduled on May 10 and counting of votes will take place on May 13.

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    #Cong #ups #attack #BJP #shares #rate #card #corruption #Karnataka

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • RAW exempted under RTI Act unless human rights or corruption an issue: Delhi HC

    RAW exempted under RTI Act unless human rights or corruption an issue: Delhi HC

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    New Delhi: India’s external intelligence agency RAW is an exempted organisation under the Right to Information Act and unless the information sought by an RTI applicant relates to human rights or corruption issues, it is not liable to be disclosed, the Delhi High Court has said.

    The court’s order came on a petition by an RTI applicant for disclosure of information on the residences of a former RAW chief during a certain period.

    The court refused to interfere with the CIC order refusing to supply the information to the petitioner and observed that Section 24 of the Right to Information Act provides that it does not apply to the security and intelligence organisations specified in its Second Schedule and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was one of them.

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    “RAW is an organisation which is specifically mentioned in the Schedule to the RTI Act. It is an exempt organisation. Unless the nature of information sought relates to human rights or corruption related issues, information is not liable to be disclosed,” said Justice Prathiba M Singh in a recent order.

    “In the present petition, the nature of information sought, i.e., the residences of the subject person who was the head of RAW which is a security agency, would not be covered in the exemption. In view of the above discussion, the impugned order does not deserve to be interfered with,” ordered the court.

    In January 2012, petitioner Nisha Priya Bhatia had sought “certified copies of applications for allotment of government accommodation made by Shri S.K. Tripathi; IPS (UP; 1972) between 1986 to present” from the Directorate of Estates, Government of India under the RTI Act.

    When the matter reached the CIC after the petitioner received no reply, the CIC in 2017 concluded that RAW was covered by Section 24 as an exempt organisation and no case of human rights or corruption is made out in the present case to attract the exception.

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    #RAW #exempted #RTI #Act #human #rights #corruption #issue #Delhi

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • ‘What did you do to stop corruption in Karnataka’, Rahul asks PM Modi

    ‘What did you do to stop corruption in Karnataka’, Rahul asks PM Modi

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    Bengaluru: Continuing his attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the poll-bound state of Karnataka, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain all the action he took to stop corruption in the state.

    Addressing a huge public rally in Hassan, Rahul Gandhi said: “The BJP first stole your government and then, through the government, it stole money from you. Now, the PM gives speeches here. But the truth is that he knew about all the corruption that took place in Karnataka in the last three years.

    “If even a six-year-old child in Karnataka knows it, the PM must also be aware of it. So, I ask him — what action have you taken to stop corruption in Karnataka in the last three years? And, against how many people did you take action?” Rahul Gandhi questioned.

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    “Ask any kid of Karnataka — what is the name of the government? He will tell you ’40 per cent Sarkar’. Everyone knows this. The Contractors’ Association wrote to the PM telling him about the 40 per cent commission; he may have read the letter but didn’t give any reply. Dingaleshwar Swami ji says that 30 per cent commission was taken from his mutt, and he was given a 10 per cent discount,” he said.

    Rahul Gandhi further said: “In the Mysore Sandal soap scandal, a BJP MLA’s son was caught with cash. There were scams in recruitment of Police Sub-Inspectors, Asst. Professors, Asst. Engineers. There was a Cooperative Bank scam.

    “Modi ji, please talk about these issues in your speeches. You come here and say that ‘Congress attacked me’. Please also tell what you did for Karnataka in the last 3 years. Here, the question is not about the PM. It is about Karnataka’s youth, farmers and women,” he said.

    Posing another question to PM Modi, the former Congress president said: “Modi ji, what action did you take when violence took place at Karnataka-Maharashtra border? How did you help Karnataka in the matter of the water dispute between Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka?

    “When we give speeches, we take the names of our leaders. Like I showed respect to Congress leaders before starting my speech. We talked about Siddaramaiah ji, Shivakumar ji, Kharge ji, Parameshwar ji. You (addressing the PM) come to Karnataka but don’t talk about your leaders. You don’t even take the name of Yeddyurappa ji or Bommai ji. Take the names of BJP leaders also in your speeches, they will feel good. Respect them as well,” he said.

    Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress has laid out a roadmap for Karnataka for the next five years.

    “We have brought out these schemes after talking to the public. Congress is going to give 5 revolutionary schemes to the people. We are going to put the money, looted from them by the BJP, back in their pockets,” he said.

    “BJP leaders love the number 40. They took a 40 per cent commission in every work. Make them remember this ’40’ number. For 3 years, they made you remember the ’40’ number. Give them 40 seats in elections and Congress has to be given at least 150 seats because if we get less than 150 seats, the BJP will again try to ‘steal’ the government. Teach a lesson to the BJP,” Rahul Gandhi told the people.

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    #stop #corruption #Karnataka #Rahul #asks #Modi

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • The splashy corruption trial insiders fear may not yield a drop

    The splashy corruption trial insiders fear may not yield a drop

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    “I’m fearful that it will have zero impact,” outgoing Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who sought stricter ethics rules during her administration, said in an interview.

    “You have people taking the stand and talking about fixing this and taking jobs and doing no work. It’s horrifying,” she said. “And every single person who testifies, every piece of evidence, every wiretapped call, I think, erodes people’s trust in core democratic institutions.”

    There is some sense that if Illinois can’t crack down on corruption, there’s still an element of accountability.

    “The trial matters because it will make people think twice about engaging in this kind of behavior if they know the feds are watching,” said Alisa Kaplan, executive director of Reform for Illinois, a nonpartisan good-government organization.

    But this is the state that produced several infamous examples of wrongdoing: Former Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich (convicted for trying to sell a Senate seat) … and former Republican Gov. George Ryan (convicted of accepting gifts and vacations from friends in exchange for government contracts) … and Rita Crundwell (a comptroller convicted of absconding with nearly $54 million of her city’s money) and has seen many Chicago City Council members indicted or implicated.

    The Four are accused of a bribery plot where the utility arranged jobs for allies of former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who faces a separate trial next year on racketeering and bribery charges, without them having to do actual work. In return, the utility sought passage of 2011 “Smart Grid” legislation and a 2016 measure that rescued two financially struggling nuclear power plants from shutting down, according to federal prosecutors.

    Madigan, who led Illinois House Democrats for nearly 40 years, hasn’t appeared in court but his presence has loomed over the trial, which is being held in Chicago’s downtown Loop business district. And political insiders have been captivated as former lawmakers and lobbyists testified about the inner workings of state government, with echoes of the once-dominant machine politics.

    One element that’s drawing people into the case is the audio. The former House speaker famously didn’t have a cell phone or use email, so trial observers were particularly stunned to hear Madigan and his close aide, Mike McClain, on secret phone recordings.

    The tapes were designed to cement the idea to jurors that Madigan had an outsized influence orchestrating the conduct of state government so testimony from people like state Rep. Bob Rita, a Democrat, clicked: Madigan ruled “through fear and intimidation,” he told the court.

    Federal prosecutors say the ComEd defendants schemed to pay $1.3 million to subcontractors who did little or no work, though attorneys for the ComEd Four say their clients participated in nothing more than lobbying. Madigan has denied wrongdoing but resigned from office and relinquished his chairpersonship of the state Democratic Party in 2021 after he was identified in the ComEd case.

    “I was never involved in any criminal activity. The government is attempting to criminalize a routine constituent service: Job recommendations,” Madigan has said in a statement about the federal investigations. “That is not illegal, and these other charges are equally unfounded. … I adamantly deny these accusations and look back proudly on my time as an elected official, serving the people of Illinois.”

    The trial is also being watched warily from the Capitol in Springfield. Lawmakers are about a month away from wrapping up their legislative session but the ComEd Four trial has not sparked new, splashy ethics measures.

    Joe Ferguson, the former Chicago inspector general, worries it’s already too late for lawmakers to act before their session ends May 19.

    “When the indictments came out, there was a flurry of talk about reforms. But nothing has been done,” Ferguson said in an interview. “It means when the legislature meets again, the trial will be a distant memory.”

    Both House and Senate spokespeople pointed to recent changes Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law that restrict government officials from lobbying activities, tighten regulations on registered lobbyists and expand financial disclosure requirements.

    State Sen. Terri Bryant, a Republican who sits on the bipartisan Legislative Ethics Commission, said lawmakers are mostly watching and waiting, but remain focused on legislation for their districts.

    “It’s concerning that Mike Madigan might get off the hook. There’s not a person in Springfield who doesn’t think he’s as guilty as hell,” said Bryant. “If those four get off, how can they prosecute Mike Madigan? It looks like everything hangs on this trial.”

    Despite the federal government’s many probes of Illinois officials over the years, there are moments that seem as if politicians aren’t taking concerns about corruption seriously.

    Early in her administration, Lightfoot had tried to push Chicago Ald. Edward Burke out, to no avail. The mayor followed through on a campaign promise to overhaul the city’s ethics laws, and introduced rules that cut back on outside employment of aldermen and expanded disclosure requirements for lobbyists.

    But earlier this month, City Council members stood up one by one to offer high praise for Burke, a Democrat who spent the last four of his 54 years in office waiting on his own trial on federal charges of racketeering, bribery and extortion.

    It’s the sort of display Lightfoot can’t stand.

    “It was pretty amazing,” she said. “That’s all I’ll say.”

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    #splashy #corruption #trial #insiders #fear #yield #drop
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Congress MLC alleges large-scale corruption in Dalit Bandhu scheme

    Congress MLC alleges large-scale corruption in Dalit Bandhu scheme

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    Hyderabad: Congress MLC Jeevan Reddy has made serious allegations of large-scale corruption in the implementation of the Dalit Bandhu scheme. Reddy accused BRS MLAs of receiving funds from the scheme’s beneficiaries and called for action against them. Despite media reports on this issue, Chief Minister KCR has not taken any action against the MLAs. Reddy revealed that the Chief Minister himself had warned the MLAs who received funds for the Dalit Bandhu scheme in the plenary session of the BRS. Reddy has accused KCR of trying to shield the guilty MLAs and doing injustice to the Dalit community.

    Addressing the media, Jeevan Reddy stated that the Dalit Bandhu scheme, which was intended to benefit the Dalit community, had been badly affected by corruption. He alleged that the MLAs were adding their names to the list of beneficiaries to receive funds. The Congress MLC further alleged that KCR was trying to protect the MLAs, despite the Chief Minister’s admission that the MLAs were receiving funds from the scheme’s beneficiaries.

    Jeevan Reddy pointed out that Dr Rajaiah was sacked as Deputy Chief Minister on corruption charges, but MLAs receiving funds from Dalits were being shielded. He accused KCR of showing no fear among the MLAs and said that the Chief Minister would be directly responsible for any irregularities in the Dalit Bandhu scheme.

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    The Dalit Bandhu scheme was launched by the Telangana government with the objective of empowering Dalit families in the state by providing them financial assistance to start their own businesses. The scheme was announced ahead of the Huzurabad assembly by-elections, which took place last year.

    Jeevan Reddy’s allegations of corruption in the scheme have caused a stir in the state’s political circles, with many demanding a thorough investigation into the matter. It remains to be seen what action the Telangana government will take in response to these allegations.

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    #Congress #MLC #alleges #largescale #corruption #Dalit #Bandhu #scheme

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Spy hunt or witch hunt? Ukrainians fear the two are merging

    Spy hunt or witch hunt? Ukrainians fear the two are merging

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    KYIV — From the glass cage in a Kyiv courtroom, Roman Dudin professed his innocence loudly.

    And he fumed at the unusual decision to prevent a handful of journalists from asking him questions during a break in the hearing.

    The former Kharkiv security chief is facing charges of treason and deserting his post, allegations he and his supporters deny vehemently. 

    “Why can’t I talk with the press?” he bellowed. As he shook his close-cropped head in frustration, his lawyers, a handful of local reporters and supporters chorused his question. At a previous hearing Dudin had been allowed during a break to answer questions from journalists, in keeping with general Ukrainian courtroom practice, but according to his lawyers and local reporters, the presence of POLITICO appeared to unnerve authorities. 

    Suspiciously, too, the judge returned and to the courtroom’s surprise announced an unexpected adjournment, offering no reason. A commotion ensued as she left and further recriminations followed when court guards again blocked journalists from talking with Dudin.

    ***

    Ukraine’s hunt for traitors, double agents and collaborators is quickening.

    Nearly every day another case is publicized by authorities of alleged treason by senior members of the security and law-enforcement agencies, prosecutors, state industry employees, mayors and other elected officials.

    Few Ukrainians — nor Western intelligence officials, for that matter — doubt that large numbers of top-level double agents and sympathizers eased the way for Russia’s invasion, especially in southern Ukraine, where they were able to seize control of the city of Kherson with hardly any resistance.

    And Ukrainian authorities say they’re only getting started in their spy hunt for individuals who betrayed the country and are still undermining Ukraine’s security and defense. 

    Because of historic ties with Russia, the Security Service of Ukraine and other security agencies, as well as the country’s arms and energy industries, are known to be rife with spies. Since the 2013-14 Maidan uprising, which saw the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych, Moscow’s satrap in Ukraine, episodic sweeps and purges have been mounted.

    As conflict rages the purges have become more urgent. And possibly more political as government criticism mounts from opposition politicians and civil society leaders. They are becoming publicly more censorious, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his tight-knit team of using the war to consolidate as much power as possible. 

    GettyImages 1245774603
    Volodymyr Zelenskyy said authorities were investigating more than 650 cases of suspected treason and aiding and abetting Russia by officials | Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    Last summer, Zelenskyy fired several high-level officials, including his top two law enforcement officials, prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova and security chief Ivan Bakanov, both old friends of his. In a national address, he said authorities were investigating more than 650 cases of suspected treason and aiding and abetting Russia by officials, including 60 who remained in territories seized by Russia and are “working against our state.”

    “Such a great number of crimes against the foundations of national security and the connections established between Ukrainian law enforcement officials and Russian special services pose very serious questions,” he said. 

    ***

    But while there’s considerable evidence of treason and collaboration, there’s growing unease in Ukraine that not all the cases and accusations are legitimate.

    Some suspect the spy hunt is now merging with a political witch hunt. They fear that the search may be increasingly linked to politicking or personal grudges or bids to conceal corruption and wrongdoing. But also to distract from mounting questions about government ineptitude in the run-up to the invasion by a revanchist and resentful Russia. 

    Among the cases prompting concern when it comes to possible concealment of corruption is the one against 40-year-old Roman Dudin. “There’s something wrong with this case,” Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a former Ukrainian deputy prime minister and now opposition lawmaker, told POLITICO. 

    And that’s the view of the handful of supporters who were present for last week’s hearing. “This is a political persecution, and he’s a very good officer, honest and dignified,” said 50-year-old Irina, whose son, now living in Florida, served with Dudin. “He’s a politically independent person and he was investigating corruption involving the Kharkiv mayor and some other powerful politicians, and this is a way of stopping those investigations,” she argued. 

    Zelenskyy relieved Dudin of his duties last May, saying he “did not work to defend the city from the first days of the full-scale war.” But Dudin curiously wasn’t detained and charged for a further four months and was only arrested in September last year. Dudin’s lead lawyer, Oleksandr Kozhevnikov, says neither Zelenskyy nor his SBU superiors voiced any complaints about his work before he was fired. 

    “To say the evidence is weak is an understatement — it just does not correspond to reality. He received some awards and recognition for his efforts before and during the war from the defense ministry,” says Kozhevnikov. “When I agreed to consider taking the case, I told Roman if there was any hint of treason, I would drop it immediately — but I’ve found none,” he added.

    The State Bureau of Investigation says Dudin “instead of organizing work to counter the enemy … actually engaged in sabotage.” It claims he believed the Russian “offensive would be successful” and hoped Russian authorities would treat him favorably due to his subversion, including “deliberately creating conditions” enabling the invaders to seize weapons and equipment from the security service bases in Kharkiv. In addition, he’s alleged to have left his post without permission, illegally ordered his staff to quit the region and of wrecking a secure communication system for contact with Kyiv. 

    But documents obtained by POLITICO from relevant Ukrainian agencies seem to undermine the allegations. One testifies no damage was found to the secure communication system; and a document from the defense ministry says Dudin dispersed weapons from the local SBU arsenal to territorial defense forces. “Local battalions are grateful to him for handing out weapons,” says Kozhevnikov. 

    And his lawyer says Dudin only left Kharkiv because he was ordered to go to Kyiv by superiors to help defend the Ukrainian capital. A geolocated video of Dudin in uniform along with other SBU officers in the center of Kyiv, ironically a stone’s throw from the Pechersk District Court, has been ruled by the judge as inadmissible. The defense has asked the judge to recuse herself because of academic ties with Oleh Tatarov, a deputy head of the presidential administration, but the request has been denied. 

    According to a 29-page document compiled by the defense lawyers for the eventual trial, Dudin and his subordinates seem to have been frantically active to counter Russia forces as soon as the first shots were fired, capturing 24 saboteurs, identifying 556 collaborators and carrying out reconnaissance on Russian troop movements. 

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    Roman Dudin is facing charges of treason and allegations that he eased the way for Russian invaders | Jamie Dettmer for POLITICO

    Timely information transmitted by the SBU helped military and intelligence units to stop an armored Russian column entering the city of Kharkiv, according to defense lawyers. 

    “The only order he didn’t carry out was to transfer his 25-strong Alpha special forces team to the front lines because they were needed to catch saboteurs,” says Kozhevnikov. “The timing of his removal is suspicious — it was when he was investigating allegations of humanitarian aid being diverted by some powerful politicians.” 

    ***

    Even before Dudin’s case there were growing doubts about some of the treason accusations being leveled — including vague allegations against former prosecutor Venediktova and former security chief Bakanov. Both were accused of failing to prevent collaboration by some within their departments. But abruptly in November, Venediktova was appointed Ukraine’s ambassador to Switzerland. And two weeks ago, the State Bureau of Investigation said the agency had found no criminal wrongdoing by Bakanov.

    The clearing of both with scant explanation, after their humiliating and highly public sackings, has prompted bemusement. Although some SBU insiders do blame Bakanov for indolence in sweeping for spies ahead of the Russian invasion. 

    Treason often seems the go-to charge — whether appropriate or not — and used reflexively.

    Last month, several Ukrainian servicemen were accused of treason for having inadvertently revealed information during an unauthorized mission, which enabled Russia to target a military airfield. 

    The servicemen tried without permission to seize a Russian warplane in July after its pilot indicated he wanted to defect. Ham-fisted the mission might have been, but lawyers say it wasn’t treasonable.

    Spy hunt or witch hunt? With the word treason easily slipping off tongues these days in Kyiv, defense lawyers at the Pechersk District Court worry the two are merging.



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    #Spy #hunt #witch #hunt #Ukrainians #fear #merging
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

  • Three ARTO Employees Disengaged From Services On Corruption Charges

    Three ARTO Employees Disengaged From Services On Corruption Charges

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    SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday ordered disengagement of three employees of ARTO Sopore on charges of corruption.

    An order issued by the Transport commissioner, read that In view of the recommendations made by the ARTO Baramulla conveyed by the RTO Kashmir vide No. RTOK/Estt/615-17dated 19-04-2023, the following consolidated workers are hereby disengaged with immediate effect.

    The employees were identified as Aijaz Ahmed Mir, Farooq Ahmed Wagay and Mohammad Ashraf Dar.

    Notably,three employees (consolidated) at ARTO office Sopore were arrested for taking bribe from the public visiting the office for obtaining Driving License, NOC, Registration of vehicles.

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    #ARTO #Employees #Disengaged #Services #Corruption #Charges

    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • NIA officer suspended on corruption charges

    NIA officer suspended on corruption charges

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    Delhi: Ministry of Home Affairs has suspended a superintendent of police rank officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on charges of corruption, sources said on Tuesday.

    The officer has been identified as Vishal Garg, who is deputed at the Delhi headquarters of the NIA.
    This is the second time since 2019 that Garg was placed under suspension on charges of corruption.

    In 2019, Garg along with two other NIA officials– Nishant and Mithilesh– was placed under suspension for allegedly demanding Rs 2 crore from a Delhi-based businessman for not naming him in a terrorism funding case involving Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Nishant and Mithilesh were then posted with NIA’s intelligence and operations wing.

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    In 2020, the MHA reinstated Garg and gave a clean chit to two juniors. Garg was then transferred to New Delhi from Lucknow and made incharge of training with “immediate effect”.

    As per sources, the fresh suspension of Garg is linked to another charge of corruption.
    The MHA’s action followed an examination of Garg’s probe report. MHA is the cadre controlling authority for IPS and NIA officers.

    Garg was earlier the chief investigation officer of the 2007 Samjhauta and Ajmer blast cases that resulted in the acquittals of Swami Assemanand and others.

    The train blast in February 2007 had led to the death of 68 people, mostly Pakistanis.
    Garg, from the Border Security Force, was among the first officers to be permanently inducted in the NIA, which was set up in the aftermath of the 26/11 attack.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Firm in my demand for action on BJP’s corruption: Sachin Pilot

    Firm in my demand for action on BJP’s corruption: Sachin Pilot

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    Jaipur: Former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday indicated he will continue with his agitation against his own government for action against the corruption in the previous BJP government.

    Pilot said he is not backing down from the stand he has taken against the state Congress government saying he is “politely requesting” it to take action in corruption cases from the previous dispensation.

    He said despite his daylong fast on April 11, no action has been taken in such cases.

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    “Speaking truth, raising voice against corruption and injustice, is among the values of the Congress party. Following these values, I observed one-day fast on April 11. Today, it’s been two weeks, no action has been taken so far.

    “So, again I am politely requesting the government to fulfil the promises we had made to the people,” Pilot told reporters here, adding that now even demanding action against corruption is being termed anti-party’ activity.

    Pilot was speaking to media after offering his prayers at Jhadkhad Temple (Shiv Temple) in the city.

    He said he welcomes the action taken by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which arrested several corrupt IAS, IPS, RAS and other officers.

    “The Chief Minister himself had said that ACB is active and has raided several corrupt officers, which we all welcome. But, when he had come into power after being in opposition for five years, we never said that we would arrest a patwari or officer. We had said we will take action in the corruption cases that happened in Vasundhara Ji’s tenure,” Pilot said.

    After the Pilot’s one-day fast, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had said that ACB has arrested several corrupt IAS, IPS officers, which has nowhere happened in the country.

    People voted for people because corruption was a big issue before Congress came to power, he said, adding that since there is very little time left in the assembly elections, action should be taken.

    “If we all raise corruption done by the BJP or if I raise the corruption issues of the previous Vasundhara Raje government and demand action on them then I believe that it is in the benefit of the party,” Pilot said.

    He also raised questions over inaction against the party leaders who defied the party’s high command in September 2022.

    “It is true that the incident that took place on September 25 was an open violation of the orders of our Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken were openly insulted. Why hasn’t action been taken against them yet? This is the question, the answer lies with the party,” Pilot said.

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    #Firm #demand #action #BJPs #corruption #Sachin #Pilot

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )