Monthly Archive

Welcome to our Archives page. On this page you will find a total of 1984 of our articles broken down into Months and Years.
Corruption!
1464
3 min read

Azerbaijan Laundromat shows UK is choice of crooks and despots, says Hodge

Former chair of public accounts committee tells MPs UK corporate rules and weak regulatory framework are ‘a gift to villains’ Britain is the “country of choice for every kleptocrat, crook and despo... read more..

Corruption!
1625
8 min read

FBI uncovered Russian bribery plot before Obama administration approved controversial nuclear deal with Moscow

  Before the Obama administration approved a controversial deal in 2010 giving Moscow control of a large swath of American uranium, the FBI had gathered substantial evidence that Russian nuclear read more..

Corruption!
1553
5 min read

AG Sessions Could Lift Gag Order on Informant in Clinton-Russia-Uranium Probe

Attorney General Jeff Sessions could lift the gag order on an informant who helped investigate Russian bribery and money laundering in 2009-2014 -- a case involving uranium and national security -- ac... read more..

Corruption!
1857
5 min read

Timeline: The Clintons, The Russians, And Uranium

I created most of this timeline more than two years ago but with the recent revelations about Russian bribery and extortion efforts within the U.S., I thought it was time for an update. Most of th... read more..

Events and opinions
1531
4 min read

Astana's plan to stay warm in the winter? Build a ring of one million trees

In 1997 the Kazakh president launched a plan to protect his new capital from the icy winds of the featureless steppes with a ring of trees. Twenty years on, his scientists are still struggling to grow... read more..

Political process
1659
3 min read

Kyrgyzstan holds an election that was not a foregone conclusion

Nor was it a triumph of democracy  AS THE young man hesitated, golden autumn leaves drifted down onto the streets of Bishkek, the relaxed capital of Kyrgyzstan. “It’s a choice between old and ... read more..

Corruption!
1862
5 min read

Russian Money Talks. America Was All Ears.

A rekindled nuclear scandal shows how Russia exports corruption to the West. The biggest Russian threat to Western institutions doesn't come from disinformation or the clever use of social networks... read more..

Events and opinions
1327
4 min read

With A World Awash In Oil, Kazakhstan Faces Fuel Crisis

Kazakhstan, a nation rich in hydrocarbons, is grappling with a gasoline shortage that has enveloped the entire country, including the capital, Astana, and the southern metropolis of Almaty. Portent... read more..

Events and opinions
1652
4 min read

Moscow bribes Bishkek to stop Kyrgyzstan from changing to Latin alphabet

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Moscow has taken efforts to retain its political, and economic, influence in the post-Soviet republics, including in Central Asia. Preserving the use of the C... read more..

Events and opinions
1487
6 min read

Dissident’s widow loses bid to stop Malta assisting Kazakhs

Maltese authorities have been ordered to stop exchanging information with Kazakh counterparts with regards to murdered dissident Rakhat Aliyev, but not his widow A constitutional court has ordered ... read more..

Events and opinions
1464
5 min read

Uzbekistan: Tashkent Revamp Tests Official Pledge on Public Dialogue

Try surfing in landlocked Uzbekistan? Or maybe check out the dolphinarium in Tashkent, a city 2,000 kilometers away from the nearest ocean? Why not? These are some of the more colorful aspects of a... read more..

Events and opinions
1522
4 min read

Uzbekistan: The Tashkent Spring Experiences a Frost

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in mid-September, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev outlined a democratic vision for Uzbekistan. Just over a year since Mirziyoyev replaced the late strongman I... read more..

Economy
1733
5 min read

Kazakhstan must do more to convince foreign investors

Privatization drive confronts wariness about state intentions The latest drive by Kazakhstan to privatize many of its state-owned companies and reduce the government's role in the economy is off to... read more..

Corruption!
1490
3 min read

Stop cooperating with Kazakhstan in Aliyev case, court tells government

Former ambassador and dissident died in detention in 2015 The Constitutional Court has ordered the government, not to cooperate with the authorities in Kazakhstan in an investigation about Rakhat A... read more..

Economy
1703
4 min read

Interpol needs to stop helping dictators

Interpol, the international police organization, has just concluded its annual meeting in Beijing. For decades, Interpol’s constitution has emphasized respect for human rights and the principle of... read more..

Events and opinions
1783
7 min read

Fugitive Kazakh clan has deep ties to Trump associates

A powerful Kazakh family and a developer linked to Donald Trump enlisted the law firm of a high-profile Trump confidante to create a web of offshore companies designed to minimize taxes. The firm: ... read more..

Corruption!
1527
<1min

Will He Step Down? Mugabe Now The World’s Oldest Head Of State

Terrence Mawawa The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, this week became the third longest serving non-royal ruler in the world replacing Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Sant... read more..

Events and opinions
1814
33 min read

Spies, lies and the oligarch: inside London’s booming secrets industry

In 2009, a fugitive Kazakh oligarch arranged a meeting in London with the head of an international private intelligence agency. 1. The Kazakh connection Mukhtar Ablyazov, a slim man in his mid-for... read more..

Events and opinions
1541
8 min read

Eurasia's Latest Economic Reboot Can Be Found In Uzbekistan

Eurasia has become a hot spot on the map because of China's Silk Road initiative. The region's most populated country, once closed to the world, is now looking to reboot itself following generations o... read more..

Events and opinions
1696
2 min read

Kazakhstan FA vice-president Aisultan Nazarbayev admits battle with drugs

One of Kazakhstan's top football officials has admitted he had been in a battle with drug addiction. Aisultan Nazarbayev, who is vice-president of the football federation, has shocked the country b... read more..

Events and opinions
1419
15 min read

Can a Giant Science Fair Transform Kazakhstan’s Economy?

With Expo 2017, the former Soviet Republic is trying to wean itself from oil and create a new global financial hub. By day, the huge and gleaming sphere looks like the spaceship of aliens who may n... read more..

Corruption!
2627
4 min read

The Azerbaijani Laundromat

The Azerbaijani Laundromat is a complex money-laundering operation and slush fund that handled $2.9 billion over a two-year period through four shell companies registered in the UK. The scheme was ... read more..

Corruption!
1393
2 min read

Europol Urges EU Financial Agencies to Enhance Money Laundering Investigations

Europol called Tuesday for tighter money laundering control saying in 2014 banks had reported one million suspicious transactions to authorities but only 10 percent of them were investigated. The E... read more..

Events and opinions
1705
2 min read

Ablyazov, now free to travel, goes on counter-attack

Mukhtar Ablyazov, who is being pursued by the Kazakh government for alleged fraud, was taken off Interpol's red list at the end of July and is now free to travel. Interpol concluded that his presen... read more..

Events and opinions
2669
6 min read

The Kazakhgate Relay: From Bulat Utemuratov to Mukhtar Ablyazov

Who is behind the Kazakhgate scandal in the Belgian media? OSI revealed one name so far: that of the Kazakh oligarch Bulat Utemuratov, who orchestrated it in late 1990s and early 2000s.  (http... read more..

Events and opinions
2281
6 min read

Special Counsel Mueller Should Also Investigate Trump’s Corruption In $4.5 Billion 1MDB Scandal

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is perhaps the most feared person whom President Donald Trump wishes he could fire. But unlike the sacking of FBI Director James Comey, it would not be so easy to axe Mu... read more..

Events and opinions
1442
5 min read

Musings On The Current Crop Of Dictators – OpEd

Corruption comes in different forms. Corruption for money and wealth is a pervasive one. In politics, another kind of corruption is prevalent – the lust for power. Initially, political leaders ask... read more..

Events and opinions
1353
8 min read

Central Asia’s Catechism of Cliché: From the Great Game to Silk Road

When people ponder the history of Central Asia, they tend to have two ideas in mind – that the region has long been the subject of great power rivalry, known since the 19th century as the ‘Great Game,... read more..

Events and opinions
1449
5 min read

Kazakhstan: Jailed Journalist a Pawn in a Political Game

In the months before his arrest, Kazakhstani journalist Zhanbolat Mamay knew something was up. Writing on his Facebook account on December 6, he reported finding his car, which was parked outside h... read more..

Economy
2095
4 min read

The Diamond Club: Belgium’s True Lawmakers

Antwerp World Diamond Centre , Servais Verherstraeten, Axel Haelterman, Raf Verstraeten, Catherine Degoul, Patokh Chodiev, diamonds, Kazakhgate On 14 April 2011, the Belgian Parliament voted a law ... read more..