Latest news with #OrganizedCrimeandCorruptionReportingProject
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Asif drops Portugal bombshell
Defence Minister and senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif has claimed that over half of the country's bureaucracy has purchased property in Portugal and is preparing to acquire citizenship. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) the other day, Asif alleged that several prominent bureaucrats are among those planning their exit. He did not name individuals but suggested the trend was widespread within the civil service. This is not the first time reports have emerged about Pakistani bureaucrats and government officials investing in foreign real estate. In May 2024, international journalistic body Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) published an investigative report titled Dubai Unlocked. The investigation revealed that leaked data from 2022 showed 17,000 Pakistani nationals owned some 23,000 residential properties in Dubai. These included former military officers, bankers, politicians, and senior civil servants. Further concerns about foreign affiliations of civil servants surfaced earlier this year. In January, the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Interior was informed that more than 22,000 bureaucrats hold dual nationality. Last month, the government amended the Civil Servants Act, introducing Section 15-A, which now requires all Grade 17 to Grade 22 officers to declare their assets - both domestic and foreign - as well as those of their immediate family. These details are to be made public through the FBR in a move aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in the public sector. Why Portugal? The recent focus on Portugal is closely linked to its Golden Visa programme, officially known as the Golden Residence Permit. This initiative allows non-EU nationals to secure permanent residency in the country in exchange for specific types of investments. Previously, investing in the real estate sector was a popular route to acquire permanent residence, but this option was discontinued in 2023. Current qualifying investments include job creation, research, business development, support for arts and culture, or venture capital funds. Residency obtained through the Golden Visa programme also allows the main applicant to bring their spouse, children, and parents and in-laws to Portugal. After five years, applicants become eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship. According to Bloomberg, Portugal issued nearly 5,000 Golden Visas in 2024, marking a 70 per cent increase from the 2,901 issued in 2023. The sharp rise is attributed to growing investor interest following Spain's decision to discontinue its own Golden Visa scheme in April this year.
Miami Herald
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
World's oldest leader seeks re-election to extend Cameroon's 43-year regime
July 14 (UPI) -- Cameroon's President Paul Biya, the world's oldest head of state, says he will again run for re-election in the country's October election as he seeks to extend a 43-year grip on power. Biya, 92, said Sunday afternoon in a social media post that his decision to be a candidate for an eighth term arrived after "numerous and insistent" calls by people from all regions in Cameroon and other places. "Rest assured that my determination to serve you matches the urgency of the challenges we face," he wrote on X. It was expected he would run for another seven-year term but wasn't official until Sunday. If he wins, Biya could be president until nearly the age of 100. Biya, who took office in 1982, has never lost an election despite credible accusations of voter manipulation, corruption, embezzlement and growing calls to step aside in order to give way for fresh leadership. Multiple opponents have announced their candidacies to challenge Biya. On Sunday, the aging leader argued that, despite it all, "much remains to be done." He abolished term limits in 2008 and won re-election in 2018 with over 71% of the electorate in a national election opposition leaders claimed saw widespread irregularities. Since last year, members of Cameroon's governing People's Democratic Movement party have publicly called on Biya to seek another presidential term. "In the face of an increasingly difficult international environment, the challenges facing us are more and more pressing," Biya, the party leader, stated this week on his candidacy. But in addition to public concern over Biya's health, his absence last year from public view for nearly two months fueled speculation on his well-being and rumors that Biya died. A 2018 report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project found that, in 35 years, Biya spent more than four years on "brief private visits" out of Cameroon. Late last year, top officials advised the press to refrain from discussing Biya's health as Cameroon's government, in a letter to its 10 regional governors, urged a ban enforcement. "Any misguided attempt to censor reporting about his health for national security reasons simply fuels rampant speculation," the New York City-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in October. The OCCRP investigation further discovered he spent a third of the year away from the country in 2006 and 2009 missing amid violent crackdowns on public demonstrations. Biya's odds for a successful re-election campaign are high with over 300 political parties comprising Cameroon's fragmented political opposition. "They (the opposition) don't stand a chance as individual candidates," Germany-based political analyst Collins Molua Ikome told CNN on Monday. "If they form a transitional coalition then maybe they might," he added. Meanwhile, the people of Cameroon remain fearful to speak openly on politics over fear of retribution. A public sector worker says Biya "still has much to offer the Cameroonian people" while a consultant suggested maybe "there's no one better." "If he is a candidate, it means he's capable to lead," Ngono Marius told the BBC. "Never in the political history of nations have I seen or heard that a man of that age, is declaring his candidacy in a presidential election," added a Cameroon citizen on condition of anonymity. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
14-07-2025
- Politics
- UPI
World's oldest leader seeks re-election to extend Cameroon's 43-year regime
1 of 2 | Cameroonian President Paul Biya (pictured December 2022 in Washington, D.C.) said Sunday that his decision to be a candidate for an eighth term arrived after "numerous and insistent" calls by people from all regions in Cameroon. If he wins, Biya could be president until nearly age 100. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo July 14 (UPI) -- Cameroon's President Paul Biya, the world's oldest head of state, says he will again run for re-election in the country's October election as he seeks to extend a 43-year grip on power. Biya, 92, said Sunday afternoon in a social media post that his decision to be a candidate for an eighth term arrived after "numerous and insistent" calls by people from all regions in Cameroon and other places. "Rest assured that my determination to serve you matches the urgency of the challenges we face," he wrote on X. It was expected he would run for another seven-year term but wasn't official until Sunday. If he wins, Biya could be president until nearly the age of 100. Biya, who took office in 1982, has never lost an election despite credible accusations of voter manipulation, corruption, embezzlement and growing calls to step aside in order to give way for fresh leadership. Multiple opponents have announced their candidacies to challenge Biya. On Sunday, the aging leader argued that, despite it all, "much remains to be done." He abolished term limits in 2008 and won re-election in 2018 with over 71% of the electorate in a national election opposition leaders claimed saw widespread irregularities. Since last year, members of Cameroon's governing People's Democratic Movement party have publicly called on Biya to seek another presidential term. "In the face of an increasingly difficult international environment, the challenges facing us are more and more pressing," Biya, the party leader, stated this week on his candidacy. But in addition to public concern over Biya's health, his absence last year from public view for nearly two months fueled speculation on his well-being and rumors that Biya died. A 2018 report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project found that, in 35 years, Biya spent more than four years on "brief private visits" out of Cameroon. Late last year, top officials advised the press to refrain from discussing Biya's health as Cameroon's government, in a letter to its 10 regional governors, urged a ban enforcement. "Any misguided attempt to censor reporting about his health for national security reasons simply fuels rampant speculation," the New York City-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in October. The OCCRP investigation further discovered he spent a third of the year away from the country in 2006 and 2009 missing amid violent crackdowns on public demonstrations. Biya's odds for a successful re-election campaign are high with over 300 political parties comprising Cameroon's fragmented political opposition. "They (the opposition) don't stand a chance as individual candidates," Germany-based political analyst Collins Molua Ikome told CNN on Monday. "If they form a transitional coalition then maybe they might," he added. Meanwhile, the people of Cameroon remain fearful to speak openly on politics over fear of retribution. A public sector worker says Biya "still has much to offer the Cameroonian people" while a consultant suggested maybe "there's no one better." "If he is a candidate, it means he's capable to lead," Ngono Marius told the BBC. "Never in the political history of nations have I seen or heard that a man of that age, is declaring his candidacy in a presidential election," added a Cameroon citizen on condition of anonymity.
Yemen Online
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yemen Online
Yemen Seizes 1.5 Million Captagon Pills, Alleges Houthis Fueling War Through Drug Trade
Yemeni authorities said they seized 1.5 million Captagon pills hidden on the roof of a refrigerated truck traveling from the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, to Saudi Arabia — a bust that officials allege reveals a shift in regional drug trafficking routes and highlights the Houthis' growing reliance on narcotics smuggling to fund their military operations. The seizure, announced by Yemen's Interior Ministry, suggests that Yemen may be emerging as a new hub in the Captagon trade following reported crackdowns in Syria, where the trade had flourished for years under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. According to a statement from the ministry, the truck driver admitted the shipment belonged to drug dealers in Sanaa. Authorities believe the shipment is tied to the Iran-backed Houthi militia, and say it reflects the presence of extensive drug production and smuggling networks operating inside Houthi-controlled territory. Brig. Gen. Abdullah Lahmadi, director general of drug control at the ministry, said the discovery underscores the scale of trafficking allegedly supported by the Houthis. Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani of the internationally recognized Yemeni government wrote on X that this attempt comes at 'a sensitive time after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, which represented the main corridor for the Captagon trade to the Gulf states.' 'With the collapse of [the Assad] regime, the Houthis exploited the resulting vacuum to enhance their criminal activities and transform Yemen into a new starting point for drug smuggling, which deepens their security threats and further deteriorates the regional situation,' he added. Al-Eryani said the seizure 'highlights the malicious tactics that the Houthi militia relies on to finance its military operations and terrorist activities.' Abdulhamid Amer, head of the National Center for Strategic Studies, echoed the accusation, telling the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) that the Houthi group 'relies heavily on drugs to finance its ongoing wars.' A 2024 report by a U.N. Panel of Experts on Yemen also accused the Houthis of generating 'substantial illegal resources' through trafficking in drugs, arms and telecommunications equipment. Amer pointed to a rise in drug smuggling toward Saudi Arabia and the Gulf after the Assad regime's collapse and the weakening of Hezbollah in Syria — two groups previously linked to Captagon trafficking. He said the shift has been enabled by the Houthis' control over large areas in Yemen. Among the signs of increased smuggling, Amer cited a surge in land and maritime trafficking operations, a spike in drug volumes, the rise of commercial and agricultural fronts used for laundering, and growing domestic drug use, especially among youth. While the internationally recognized Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of spearheading the shift in the Captagon trade, the Houthi authorities have blamed Saudi Arabia. In 2021, Abdul Khaleq Al-Ajri, then-spokesman for the Houthi-run Interior Ministry, alleged that Riyadh was behind large-scale drug smuggling. He claimed Saudi Arabia released 3,000 Yemeni prisoners on the condition that they engage in trafficking within Yemen. Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which leads the internationally recognized government and is tasked with uniting anti-Houthi factions. A Houthi government spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. Meanwhile, Syria's interim government has claimed to be cracking down on the Captagon trade. Transitional Interior Minister Anas Khattab recently said all production facilities in the country had been shut down. But evidence suggests smuggling continues: in a recent incident, authorities intercepted 200,000 Captagon pills being smuggled through Syria. Still, the Washington-based New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy noted that seizures have not led to significant arrests of traffickers. 'The technical knowledge to produce Captagon remains and could be redeployed elsewhere. Smuggling networks continue to operate, though likely on a diminishing scale, as regime-linked stockpiles dwindle,' the institute said in a recent report. The group also noted that Syria's interim government 'lacks the institutional capacity for effective counternarcotics operations,' with primitive disposal methods such as burning or dumping pills into waterways. Syria became the region's leading source of Captagon during the last decade, with the Assad regime accused of transforming the country into a narco-state. A 2023 joint investigation by OCCRP and the BBC found that members of the Assad family and Syrian Armed Forces were directly involved in the billion-dollar trade.
Scoop
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Influencer Not Disqualified From Vanuatu 'Golden Passport' Due To No Conviction
Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific Journalist A Pacific editor for the newsroom that found online influencer Andrew Tate has Vanuatu citizenship says Tate was not disqualified from getting the "golden passport" because he has not been convicted. Tate, a self-described misogynist, faces charges of rape and human trafficking in both the United Kingdom and Romania. The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) found Tate was granted citizenship in December 2022. Dan McGarry, an editor with OCCRP, said the passport was issued about 15 days after Tate was detained in Romania. Tate bought into the "golden passport" scheme, formally known as citizenship by investment, where applicants can be granted Vanuatu citizenship for a minimum investment of $US130,000. McGarry said the citizenship commissioner - who has been newly appointed in the role - was surprised to find out who Tate was. "He expressed regret, but at the same time, he said that once a submission has been made, once the application is put to the commission, nothing short of a criminal conviction or false representation on the application itself is sufficient to stop the process," McGarry said. He said despite the charges, because Tate has not been convicted, "none of that is disqualifying". "I think if it comes out that there's a conviction that arises, it's possible that his citizenship may be revoked as a result." McGarry said there are several reasons why people want a Vanuatu passport, including not for nefarious reasons. "There is a fairly legitimate argument to be made for citizens of repressive regimes whose travel is restricted by their local authorities." But for Tate, Vanuatu citizenship could have seemed appealing because there's no extradition treaty between Vanuatu and Romania. "[Tate's] on the record saying that he has multiple passports and that he prefers to live in places where he can effectively buy his way out of any problem that he's facing. "However, he's now facing criminal charges in the UK as well. That was just confirmed last week and there is a very long-standing extradition agreement between the UK and Vanuatu, so I'm not sure the passport is going to do what he thought it would do originally." Citizenship by investment started in 1984 in the Caribbean, with Vanuatu launching its own scheme in 2017. "It structured it in such a way that it was very easy for people outside of Vanuatu to insert themselves into the process by acting as sub agents, effectively selling citizenship and that made it very lucrative," McGarry said. Until 2024, Vanuatu citizens had visa-free access to the Schengen area in the EU. "It made the Vanuatu passport very, very attractive, and the price was somewhat better than some of the earlier programs," McGarry said. He said citizenship by investment programmes at one point were the single largest source of government revenue in Vanuatu. "You can imagine how attractive that made it to politicians who had always been very financially limited in terms of delivering programmes for people domestically. "It's been very, very hard for the government to walk away from it, because there's just so much money to be made." The Vanuatu Citizenship Commission chairman, Charles Maniel, has told the Vanuatu Daily Post it can't carry out any revocation until allegations are proven by a court of law.
