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Dragged and Beaten: The Cambodian Government’s Role in the October 2015 Attack on Opposition Politicians

At midday on October 26, 2015, some two dozen men viciously assaulted two opposition parliamentarians as they left Cambodia’s National Assembly following an anti-opposition demonstration outside the building. Kung Sophea and Nhay Chamraoen of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) were dragged from their cars and beaten, kicked, and stomped on.

The injuries to Sophea and Chamraoen were extensive. Sophea suffered a broken nose and welts and bruises to his head. Repeated kicks to the back resulted in severe lower back pain. He suffered a sprained finger and a bruised shin. His right eardrum was torn, requiring an operation. Chamraoen suffered three fractures in his right wrist and underwent a five-hour operation on his eye socket, as a broken bone below the eye was pushing up into the socket, endangering the eye. He also had a broken nose, a broken front tooth, a bruised left wrist, and significant chest pain.

Protections for Marginalised Urban Women: DUTY BEARERS and Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

This research was funded by the Australian Government under CARE’s Protections for Marginalised Urban Women project. The contents of this research can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Australian Government.

The specific objectives of this study are:
• To analyse the current knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of key duty bearers on GBV–including analysis on GBV in general, on GBV as it is experienced by targeted vulnerable women – and general attitudes and behaviors towards targeted vulnerable women
• To identify leverage points for change, and assess drivers of change (i.e. incentives)
• To develop recommendations to inform future interventions.

Global Fund Opinion Report: Governance, Risk Management and Internal Control

The purpose of this annual opinion report is twofold: to provide Board members with an independent perspective on the maturity of the Global Fund’s internal controls, governance and risk management processes; and to highlight important challenges and opportunities for the organization to move up along the maturity curve.

MYSTERY ON BAKER STREET: Brutal Kazakh official linked to £147m London property empire

MYSTERY ON BAKER STREET: Brutal Kazakh official linked to £147m London property empire
Big chunks of Baker Street are owned by a mysterious figure with close ties to a former Kazakh secret police chief accused of murder and money-laundering.

The ability to hide and spend suspect cash overseas is a large part of what makes serious corruption and organised crime attractive. After all, it is difficult to stuff millions under a mattress. You need to be able to squirrel the money away in the
international financial system, and then find somewhere nice to spend it.

This briefing uncovers a troubling example of how London can be used by anyone wanting to hide their identity behind complex networks of companies and properties. Global Witness’ investigation reveals that a portfolio of real estate worth £147 million in well-known London locations appears to be currently owned by someone with ties to Rakhat Aliyev, a notorious figure from Kazakhstan, accused in the EU of money laundering and murder.

Global Witness’ investigations reveal numerous links between Rakhat Aliyev, Nurali Aliyev, and high-end London property. The majority of this property surrounds one of the city’s most famous addresses, the fictional home of Sherlock Holmes located at 221b Baker Street.1 The property included (until 2009) the freehold of the Beatles Store located at 231 Baker Street and the iconic Elvis Presley souvenir shop at 233 Baker Street.

Investigation Report: Global Fund Grants in Cambodia

Investigation Report: Global Fund Grants in Cambodia
Principal Recipients CNM, NCHADS and MoH and NCHADS Sub-recipient MEDiCAM

The Investigations Unit of the Office of the Inspector General of the Global Fund has carried out an extensive investigation of allegations of fraud and financial abuse in Rounds 1 through 9 of multiple grant programs financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the “Global Fund”) to the Kingdom of Cambodia. The investigation has focused upon certain government entity implementer in the health sector within Cambodia, including the National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control (“CNM”), a Principal Recipient (“PR”); the National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STD Control (“NCHADS”), also a PR; and MEDiCAM, a Sub-recipient (“SR”) of the Ministry of Health (“MoH”) and NCHADS.1 CNM and NCHADS are not distinct or separate legal entities from the MoH, and thus are considered part of the Cambodian government.

The OIG investigation was initiated as a result of findings from the 2009 OIG audit of the Global Fund grants to Cambodia, which included the identification of procurement irregularities and substantial weaknesses in internal controls, along with complaints received through the OIG anti-fraud web and whistle-blower hotlines. Further allegations, including those of fraud, abuse, bribery, corruption and other forms of financial abuse, such as misuse of funds by senior officials in Global Fund-supported programs, arose throughout the course of this investigation.

The investigation has identified sufficient credible and substantive evidence of corruption, procurement irregularities, and misuse and misappropriation of grant funds, in connection with Global Fund programs