World Bank debars Canada company for fraud
Harry Cassin
October 30, 2019
The World Bank debarred a Canadian agricultural equipment distribution company Wednesday for 30 months for fraud involving a project in Afghanistan.… Continue Reading
Editors
Harry Cassin
Publisher and Editor
Andy Spalding
Senior Editor
Jessica Tillipman
Senior Editor
Richard L. Cassin
Editor at Large
Elizabeth K. Spahn
Editor Emeritus
Cody Worthington
Contributing Editor
Julie DiMauro
Contributing Editor
Thomas Fox
Contributing Editor
Marc Alain Bohn
Contributing Editor
Bill Waite
Contributing Editor
Shruti J. Shah
Contributing Editor
Russell A. Stamets
Contributing Editor
Richard Bistrong
Contributing Editor
Eric Carlson
Contributing Editor
Bill Steinman
Contributing Editor
Survey: The highs and lows of Europe-Caucasus-Asia anti-corruption compliance programs
Maryna Kavaleuskaya, Ann Sultan, Michael Skopets
November 28, 2018
According to the inaugural ECA Corruption Survey of business executives, in-house legal counsel, and other professionals operating in the Europe-Caucasus-Asia (ECA) region, 71 percent of respondents said that their country’s anti-corruption laws are ineffective and 62 percent said corruption is a significant obstacle to doing business.… Continue Reading
Maryna Kavaleuskaya: Doing business where corruption is a ‘method of governance’
Maryna Kavaleuskaya
November 1, 2016
Since Belarus’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, it has maintained strong economic and cultural ties with Russia and has been dependent on Russia’s economic support.
Recent conclusions by international finance institutions, such as the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), however, suggest that the Belarusian government is demonstrating an eagerness to revive its relationship with the West and an intention to open its market to foreign businesses.
This effort to pivot away from its Eastern neighbor is primarily due to recent geopolitical developments in the region, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that started in 2014, and has led to a broader political crisis with Russia on the one side and the United States and European nations on the other, with the Western sanctions against Russia having a trickle-down effect on Belarus’s economy.… Continue Reading
Unlikely headline: Belarus journalist wins Nobel Prize for literature
Ilya Zlatkin
October 9, 2015
Because of frequent negative press coverage of Belarus, I always try to highlight positive developments with respect to my homeland.… Continue Reading
A stacked procurement deck drove me out of my job
Ilya Zlatkin
April 29, 2015
In the prior post, I published part of a note from an acquaintance in Belarus who used to work in a medical supply firm.… Continue Reading
Witness to corruption: The Belarus medical sector
Ilya Zlatkin
April 28, 2015
Last month I wrote posts on the FCPA Blog about my birthplace, Belarus. I talked about perceived corruption there and my optimistic outlook for the country as a destination for foreign direct investment.… Continue Reading
How much FDI can Belarus expect?
Ilya Zlatkin
March 17, 2015
Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus since 1994. (Image courtesy of the Belarus Digest)In a previous post, I shared some personal experiences that cause me to believe Belarus has lower-than-advertised levels of corruption, offering a solid foundation for investment.… Continue Reading
Belarus: Europe’s last dictatorship, or a great investment opportunity?
Ilya Zlatkin
March 10, 2015
Image courtesy of the Belarus governmentI’ve read the back-and-forth posts on the FCPA Blog about Colombia with great interest.… Continue Reading
Spanish pharma wins DOJ declination
The FCPA Blog
December 7, 2012
In an SEC filing this week, Spanish pharmaceutical firm Grifols SA said the DOJ issued an ‘official declination to all inquiries related to the possible violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) that were underway since July 2009.’
It said the investigation related to Talecris, acquired by Grifols in 2011.… Continue Reading