Latest news with #USForeignCorruptPracticesAct
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Why did Trump overlook Ramaphosa's $580,000 scandal, asks MK Party
MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela has branded President Ramaphosa a fugitive from justice, saying US authorities should have questioned and investigated him over the Phala Phala dollar scandal. Image: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party )spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela has criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa following his meeting with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, calling him a 'fugitive from justice' in connection with the Phala Phala farm scandal. Ndhlela said Ramaphosa should have been held accountable for the undisclosed dollars found on his property (farm) in 2020 and questioned under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). ''What you have there sitting next to Donald Trump is a fugitive from justice. What should be happening is that they should be prosecuting him and asking him to respond to how all those dollars ended up in his couch. This is what should be happening because they are sitting with a person who has caused criminality, and that farm of his is a crime scene,'' ' Ndhlela said in an interview with the SABC. This comes after the party had previously urged US authorities, under the Trump administration, to launch an investigation into the Phala Phala farm robbery, in which an estimated $580,000 was allegedly stolen. Ndhlela also questioned the timing of Ramaphosa's US trip, implying it was strategically planned to avoid key political responsibilities. 'He chose these three dates deliberately. On Monday, the Phala Phala case began,he was meant to be in court but was absent. Today, during the budget vote, again, he was nowhere to be seen,' said Ndhlela. Drawing comparisons with past South African presidents, he added: 'If President Zuma can attend court, and President Mandela could attend court in 1996, why can't Ramaphosa? He is not above the law.' He noted that party has long argued that the Phala Phala incident constitutes international financial misconduct and should be investigated by US authorities, particularly the FBI. 'The crime he committed on his farm was dollar-based. If there's any undeclared money, especially in the form of US dollars, that's a matter for international scrutiny,' Ndhlela said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ He also dismissed the Ramaphosa–Trump meeting as 'an act of subservience.' 'This is the act of a black man running to his white imperial bosses for assistance. It's disgraceful,' he said. Moreover, Ndhlela rejected Trump's controversial claims about "white genocide" in South Africa, calling such statements 'desperate acts' intended to preserve minority privilege. 'If there is any genocide to be spoken of, it is apartheid. Not the fiction Trump is peddling.' Addressing remarks by DA leader John Steenhuisen, who suggested the Government of National Unity (GNU) was established to sideline parties like the MK Party and the EFF, Ndhlela defended his party's policies: 'Since when is free education a crime? Since when is nationalising the Reserve Bank a criminal idea?' He added that an MK-led government would have handled diplomatic relations with the US more effectively: 'We would have dealt with this issue through the proper diplomatic channels, not with subservience, but with sovereignty and integrity.' Calling for Ramaphosa's immediate resignation, Ndhlela announced that the MK Party will pursue a motion of no confidence against the president. 'What we expect is that when he lands, he submits his letter of resignation. This cannot continue. South Africa is not a banana republic.' Responding to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula's praise of Ramaphosa's US trip on X (formerly Twitter) where he wrote, 'Well done to Team South Africa for representing our country and putting the record straight,' Ndhlela dismissed the statement as nothing more than political flattery. 'He's just singing for his supper,' Ndhlela said. Cape Argus
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
MK Party questions why Trump didn't address Ramaphosa's $580,000 Phala Phala scandal
MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela has branded President Ramaphosa a fugitive from justice, saying US authorities should have questioned and investigated him over the Phala Phala dollar scandal. Image: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party )spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela has criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa following his meeting with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, calling him a 'fugitive from justice' in connection with the Phala Phala farm scandal. Ndhlela said Ramaphosa should have been held accountable for the undisclosed dollars found on his property (farm) in 2020 and questioned under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). ''What you have there sitting next to Donald Trump is a fugitive from justice. What should be happening is that they should be prosecuting him and asking him to respond to how all those dollars ended up in his couch. This is what should be happening because they are sitting with a person who has caused criminality, and that farm of his is a crime scene,'' ' Ndhlela said in an interview with the SABC. This comes after the party had previously urged US authorities, under the Trump administration, to launch an investigation into the Phala Phala farm robbery, in which an estimated $580,000 was allegedly stolen. Ndhlela also questioned the timing of Ramaphosa's US trip, implying it was strategically planned to avoid key political responsibilities. 'He chose these three dates deliberately. On Monday, the Phala Phala case began,he was meant to be in court but was absent. Today, during the budget vote, again, he was nowhere to be seen,' said Ndhlela. Drawing comparisons with past South African presidents, he added:'If President Zuma can attend court, and President Mandela could attend court in 1996, why can't Ramaphosa? He is not above the law.' He noted that party has long argued that the Phala Phala incident constitutes international financial misconduct and should be investigated by US authorities, particularly the FBI. 'The crime he committed on his farm was dollar-based. If there's any undeclared money, especially in the form of US dollars, that's a matter for international scrutiny,' Ndhlela said. He also dismissed the Ramaphosa–Trump meeting as 'an act of subservience.' 'This is the act of a black man running to his white imperial bosses for assistance. It's disgraceful,' he said. Moreover, Ndhlela rejected Trump's controversial claims about "white genocide" in South Africa, calling such statements 'desperate acts' intended to preserve minority privilege. 'If there is any genocide to be spoken of, it is apartheid. Not the fiction Trump is peddling.' Addressing remarks by DA leader John Steenhuisen, who suggested the Government of National Unity (GNU) was established to sideline parties like the MK Party and the EFF, Ndhlela defended his party's policies: 'Since when is free education a crime? Since when is nationalising the Reserve Bank a criminal idea?' He added that an MK-led government would have handled diplomatic relations with the US more effectively:'We would have dealt with this issue through the proper diplomatic channels, not with subservience, but with sovereignty and integrity.' Calling for Ramaphosa's immediate resignation, Ndhlela announced that the MK Party will pursue a motion of no confidence against the president. 'What we expect is that when he lands, he submits his letter of resignation. This cannot continue. South Africa is not a banana republic.' Responding to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula's praise of Ramaphosa's US trip on X (formerly Twitter) where he wrote, 'Well done to Team South Africa for representing our country and putting the record straight,' Ndhlela dismissed the statement as nothing more than political flattery. 'He's just singing for his supper,' Ndhlela said. [email protected] Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel IOL Politics
The Star
21-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Najib's 1MDB trial: ex-Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng will be called as key defence witness, Shafee confirms
PUTRAJAYA: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will call ex-Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng as a key defence witness in his ongoing 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial, his lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah confirmed. Shafee also said Najib's legal team had initially faced difficulties tracking down Ng, revealing that there was uncertainty over whether Ng was under witness protection. 'But, finally, we're happy to say Ng will be brought in for us to produce him as a witness. 'We want to ask him a lot about the key players in the 1MDB scandal — the real actors,' he said during a press conference at the Palace of Justice on Monday (April 21). Shafee said Najib's team has yet to meet Ng in person but has requested to interview him before he testifies in court. He stressed that such an interview is crucial for Najib to preview Ng's testimony and for Ng to prepare. However, if Ng refuses to cooperate, Shafee confirms they will subpoena him — compelling him by court order to testify. 'Our defence is simple — why is Najib the only one being targeted? Those who were actually involved are now just witnesses, while Najib alone is facing the consequences,' he said. This follows the prosecution's announcement last week that Ng would be made available as a potential defence witness. When asked whether the defence would still call Ng to testify if he refused to be interviewed, Shafee firmly stated that the defence would summon him to take the stand. 'If he is willing to be interviewed, we (the defence) may question him for 30 minutes or an hour, and then proceed to call him to testify. 'But if he refuses to be interviewed, how are we supposed to prepare his written testimony? If he agrees to the interview, we can prepare his statement accordingly,' Shafee said. In March 2023, the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York convicted Ng of conspiring to launder money, misappropriating over US$100mil from 1MDB funds, and violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi. He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment. Roger was extradited to Malaysia in October 2023. At the time, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail explained on Oct 7 last year that the extradition was to assist the government in recovering assets purchased using misappropriated 1MDB funds.
The Guardian
21-02-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Donald Trump halting anti-bribery laws will harm, not help US companies
Bribery is not a victimless crime. Stories listing the amount paid or the fine imposed can make them sound more like distasteful financial transactions, but they have harmful – sometimes deadly – outcomes. Bribes have been paid to building inspectors to ignore safety violations later cited in catastrophic collapses, and to officials to ignore worker standards that result in disabling and lethal outcomes. They have even helped divert weapons into the hands of rogue and dangerous actors. So when the US president, Donald Trump, signed an executive order last week calling on his justice department to suspend enforcement of the nation's flagship foreign anti-bribery law, it raised serious concerns among those who have witnessed the diversion of resources and other devastation caused by corruption. The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, passed in 1977 with strong bipartisan support, was a landmark achievement, and subsequent recognition of the potential advantages of a bribery-free global marketplace spurred dozens of other countries to adopt similar laws. Since then, although enforcement has been uneven, the benefits are widely acknowledged, so much so that anti-bribery mandates have been written into several multilateral agreements. The reasoning behind the executive order was, essentially, to 'level the playing field' for American multinational businesses that must compete in overseas markets with companies from less well-regulated countries. The solution to that challenge, however, is not a race to the bottom but a push to the top. US companies – as well as US workers and citizens of affected countries – are not going to 'win' by out-bribing the competition. American firms are better able to compete when playing on familiar grounds that include markets with transparent governance, the rule of law, independent and fair judicial systems and merit-based decision-making mechanisms. Rigged systems are more likely rigged against the interests of US and other rule-of-law countries. Setting aside, for a moment, the immediate dangers of bribery to local populations, the executive order will create greater uncertainty, confusion and potential liability for US businesses. These companies have invested, collectively, billions of dollars in developing compliance programmes over many years. They have built up expertise and developed sophisticated systems for identifying and evaluating risk. The compliance teams they have put in place have knowledge that is developed only with time and experience. Dismantling all of that when a future administration may revert to more active enforcement is a costly risk. Bribery demands can delay or prevent US businesses from opening new overseas markets. In private discussions, we have heard several examples of companies setting aside investment dollars only to wait for the permits or licences to clear. Delays, due to multiple and recurring bribery requests, leave those dollars sitting in unproductive accounts while losing value. In some cases, investments in infrastructure were made in a country but complications from bribery and corruption ultimately chased those companies away, forcing them to absorb substantial losses. Apparently, one cannot count on honour among thieves. As a result of these difficulties, businesses are increasingly recognising the value of transparent and accountable governance. For example, an alliance of businesses and governments in the Asia Pacific region funded a study several years back that found that when Guadalajara in Mexico moved its licensing and permitting processes online, requests for bribes dropped by 70%. The reform was applauded by the business community, with calls to replicate the effort. Multinational working groups involving businesses and national governments are working to reduce bribery and the costly complications associated with a corrupt business culture. The executive order to suspend enforcement of the US foreign anti-bribery law will do little to open new markets and opportunities for American business. It will most likely create new risk analysis complications, advance the competitiveness of foreign actors and increase the threat of harm to local populations in countries around the world. We urge the US attorney general, during this review period and when developing revised guidelines, to consider these issues and ensure that US businesses can continue to rely on the benefits from this landmark law. Gary Kalman is the executive director of Transparency International US. Maira Martini is the CEO of Transparency International.
