GFI in the News
Syrian Elite Smuggle Out Billions, New Report Finds
The Wall Street Journal, December 2, 2011
By Christopher Matthews
As Syria teeters on the edge of revolution, the ruling elite are likely diverting millions in illicit capital out of the country, according to a forthcoming report by Global Financial Integrity.
The report, titled “Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries over the Decade Ending 2009,” found that Syria lost $23.6 billion to corruption, crime and tax evasion from 2000-2009, a practice it said has likely accelerated as President Bashar al-Assad’s regime is gripped by violent unrest. The report will be released later this month, according to a news release Thursday.
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2011 Corruption Perceptions Index
Indonesian Corruption Rating Still Poor
The Wall Street Journal, December 2, 2011
By Eric Bellman
JAKARTA—There is a hint of improvement in Indonesia, but still a long way to go. That was the basic message from Transparency International’s latest corruption rankings this week.
The nongovernmental anticorruption organization said perceptions of graft in the country improved slightly this year. However, Southeast Asia’s largest economy is still in the lower half of the rankings for Asia, 20th in transparency out of 35 countries covered.
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