Page 135 - Open Secrets News Today

Nike, American Airlines and Coca-Cola have been targeted in a new advert campaign by Consumers Research, accusing the companies of bowing to woke politicians.

we wrote about the role of Credit Suisse in the mega-looting in Mozambique. This week we turn our attention to the complicity of part Russian state-owned bank, VTB Capital. In 2016, 14 donors and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stopped all lending to Mozambique, plunging the country into an economic crisis. Mozambique’s currency plummeted in value by 70% and its annual GDP growth rate fell from 6.7% to 3.8%. All this stemmed from the country’s “secret tuna-bond” loans. These loan...

Former president Jacob Zuma during a court appearance in Pietermaritzburg in 2019. Photo: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images There was yet another postponement on Monday to the highly-anticipated start of the corruption, racketeering and money laundering trial of former president Jacob Zuma and his co-accused, French arms company Thales. The trial, due to a lack of finality in terms of the pretrial proceedings, was adjourned to May 26, a date on which Zuma and his co-accused are e...

Proceedings are probably heading for postponement because the former president, Accused Number One, is currently without formal legal representation following his team’s withdrawal on 21 April.

Arms deal whistleblowers still want justice, welcome probe into judges Share JOHANNESBURG - WHISTLEBLOWERS and campaigners against the multibillion-rand arms deal have not given up on justice for taxpayers after the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) confirmed it was investigating complaints against two judges who probed the transaction. Whistleblower Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille wants the R137 million spent on the commission headed by retired Supreme Court of Appeal...

In another victory for civil society and accountability, former Minister of Social Development, head of the ANC Women’s League and currently MP, Bathabile Dlamini, has finally coughed up R650,000 in legal costs owed due to her “reckless and grossly negligent” conduct as a Minister.  After three years of giving the Black Sash Trust, represented by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (Cals) and Freedom Under Law (FUL), the runaround Cals announced on 13 May that “we have been gratified ...

The Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) will meet next month, following a complaint against the two judges who were appointed to preside the Arms Deal Commission, Willie Seriti and Hendrick Musi.

On 7 May, Sello Chiloane, secretary of the Judicial Conduct Committee, informed the NGOs, Shadow World Investigations and Open Secrets, that their complaint against Seriti and Musi had been referred by JCC Acting Chair, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, for investigation. Seriti, a Supreme Court of Appeal judge, and Musi, former Judge President of the Free State High Court, chaired the Arms Procurement Commission, known as the Seriti Commission, for four years at a cost of R130-million. Durin...

Arms Deal Inquiry judges may face allegations which, if substantiated, could lead to their impeachment, says Karyn Maughan.

Gun Control Spends Bigly. What Are They Buying? Ammoland Inc. Posted on IMG iStock-1172423251 Open Secrets’ Krystal Hur  reported, “Spending on gun control lobbying surged about 21 percent from January through March, compared with the same period in 2020, to $630,000. Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit largely funded and co-launched by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, topped the list of industry lobbyist spenders for the 10th year in a row with $380,000. Gun control group...