Articles

Modern Slavery – Part 2

This is the second in a series of articles to build awareness on modern slavery, particularly in New Zealand. Part 1 is here.

Our politicians and law makers need to accelerate the introduction of a Modern Slavery Act to establish clearer compliance expectations,

Investigative journalists find suspicious foreign trusts in New Zealand

New Zealand remains vulnerable to the flow of illicit offshore assets. An Auckland company is caught up in an international money laundering controversy after it was identified helping to manage a network of New Zealand-registered companies and trusts for its secret clients.

“This article is striking. The amount of money involved and the newness of this activity are a strong signal that more needs to be done to prevent New Zealand trusts and companies from laundering foreign assets acquired under suspicious circumstances. We are left wondering just how much corrupt wealth is sheltered through New Zealand,” says Suzanne Snively, Chair of Transparency International New Zealand.fully transparent.

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More dirty laundering in New Zealand

Investigative journalist members of the ‘Daphne Project’ have recently linked an Auckland wealth management company, Denton Morrell, with an international money laundering controversy. (See Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ) media release on 20 April 2018)

As reported by RadioNZ,

TINZ Directors Needed

Transparency International New Zealand is looking for two new directors.  Click on the link for details.

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Open Government Partnership: Progressing New Zealand’s National Action Plans

Given the successes of populist political movements and misuse of alternative truths, facilitated in part by insidious manipulation of naïve users of social media, there is a compelling need for political mechanisms that reliably engage a broad cross-section of citizens to democratically steer the future of their countries.

Introducing our new Patron: Lyn Provost

“You won’t get cold waiting to hear what she thinks”, someone remarked to me on hearing that I hadn’t met my new boss, Lyn Provost, when her appointment as Auditor-General was announced.

They were right. Lyn’s ability to quickly judge what is right and to lead unwaveringly based from that judgement is one of the things that made the seven years she was Auditor-General so fulfiling for me and many others who have worked with her during her long career.

Internal auditing – is about exercising judgement (Part 2)

Editor’s note: The Institute of Internal Auditors is a TINZ Affiliate and a regular contributor to the Transparency Times on the subject of internal auditing.

In our February newsletter we explored the difference between “doing things right” and “doing the right thing” from an internal auditor’s perspective.

From the Chair

The movie, “The Armstrong Lie”, should have better prepared me for the Australia cricket scandal. Lance Armstrong’s cheating behaviour was so disturbing that I kept shaking myself during the film, hoping to wake up and find that it was a nightmare.  

Here was a man so determined to win that he followed the innovative, interventionist and illegal prescription of his Italian specialist doctor for years.

Modern Slavery

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles on how we can address modern slavery, in particular in our supply chain, both individually and within organisations. The term relates to exploitation of people, in particular throughout supply chains that provide us with the products and services (imported and local) we benefit from. 

In case you missed it

Money Laundering

National Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Risk Assessment 2018 New Zealand Police Financial Intelligence Unit

Billions in illicit funds filtering through New Zealand Newstalk ZB AudioTuesday, 20 March 2018, 7:39AM

Latest assessment of money laundering and terrorism financing risks published

Police's Financial Intelligence Unit release report on money laundering, terrorism New Zealand Herald

More than $1 billion is laundered in NZ every year: Police Stuff

Police’s Financial Intelligence Unit release report on money laundering, terrorism Anti-Corruption Digest

Oligarchs hide billions in shell companies. Here's how we stop them The Guardian

New Zealand transparency, integrity and accountability

Political Roundup: Defence cover-up starts to unravel Bryce Edwards

Expense claims of former Fraser Health boss and top managers exposed in report The newly released 2014 report, obtained by Postmedia through a freedom of information request, shows that ambiguous policies meant Murray and other Fraser Health managers submitted claims for expenses that have since been prohibited.

Former manager convicted of fraud is sentenced to home detention Saul Roberts former Assets Manager for a publicly funded health provider who pleaded guilty to fraud has been sentenced to eight months home detention at the Auckland High Court

The 2018 Acumen Edelman Trust Barometer indicates New Zealand scores for public trust on government and the media have increased compared to a year ago, is unchanged for business, but declining for non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Calls for Government to tackle modern slavery

NZ Reserve Bank may be less of a 'fiefdom' with changes

Nigel Murray investigation passed to Serious Fraud Office RNZ

Pacific

New Zealand’s Pacific sea change

International

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) remains committed to fighting corruption and money laundering in the Asia-Pacific

Trump’s Washington: Drowning In Conflicts of Interest? Not a single Congressional Committee is looking into the abuse and utter mockery that is being made of official U.S. government ethics rules.