DOCSLIB.ORG

Patchy Progress in Setting up Public Beneficial Ownership Registers in the Eu

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Patchy Progress in Setting up Public Beneficial Ownership Registers in the Eu PATCHY PROGRESS IN SETTING UP PUBLIC BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REGISTERS IN THE EU The EU’s 5th Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Directive requires all Members States to set up a centralised register of the ultimate, or so-called ‘beneficial’, owners of companies and make this information available to the public. Countries were given more than two years to implement these changes, meaning that the registers should have been up and running by 10 January 2020. Global Witness has found progress has been at best patchy with only five having fully and properly done so. The 5th update to the AML Directive came as a inspectors – and public registers are a way of result of the Panama Papers leak in 2016, making this more difficult. which led to the resignations of political We wrote to all EU Member States and leaders and the demise of the law firm and analysed publicly available information to corporate services provider at the heart of find out how well countries are doing in the story – Mossack Fonseca. Just three setting up these public registers. months after the Panama Papers revelations, the European Commission presented plans We found that: to amend the 4th AML Directive. As a result of this, all Member States agreed that greater 17 of 27 Member States (63%) do not yet scrutiny by investigative journalists and civil have a centralised register of the society organisations will help to prevent the beneficial owners of companies which is abuse of anonymous companies by the available to the public. This category criminal and the corrupt. includes some countries which do not yet have a register of beneficial owners which is We at Global Witness have been campaigning accessible to members of the public with a for beneficial ownership information to be legitimate interest, which was required to made public for more than ten years. have been implemented by the 4th AML Anonymously-owned companies are one of Directive by June 2017; some countries that the key tools used by money launderers and expect to implement a fully public register tax evaders to hide their ill-gotten gains and soon; and some countries that claim to have taxable assets from law enforcement and tax a public register but whose registration requirements make it available only to GLOBAL WITNESS 1 BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REGISTERS IN THE EU MARCH 2020 citizens or residents of a few European include setting up a paywall or only being countries which in our opinion does not able to search using a company’s tax constitute public access. identification number. 5 of 27 Member States (18.5%) have a 5 of 27 Member States (18.5%) have centralised register of the beneficial implemented a public register which is owners of companies which is available to free to access. The UK is also in this the public but with significant restrictions category. that hinder its usefulness in combatting money laundering. These restrictions We congratulate Bulgaria, Denmark, Latvia, the centre of a 2014 leak of information Luxembourg and Slovenia for having set up published by the International Consortium of free public registers of the beneficial owners Investigative Journalists about its tax rulings. of companies, and have given them a green It would seem that scandals and public grading in our analysis. This top category pressure have played a useful role in pushing includes three countries which have been hit countries to become more transparent more by recent money laundering or tax evasion quickly. scandals. Denmark’s biggest bank, Danske We encountered a number of problems Bank, was involved in one of the world’s : largest money laundering scandals. Latvia with registers that countries have set up has been linked to the ‘Troika Laundromat’ Limiting access to the register. Four exposed by the Organised Crime and countries – Belgium, Croatia, Portugal and Corruption Reporting Project via the use of Sweden – require people to register by using nominee directors, and one of its banks was an electronic identification system that shut down by the US for links to money would appear to be available only to citizens laundering and North Korea’s nuclear and residents of a few European countries. weapons programme. Luxembourg was at GLOBAL WITNESS 2 BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REGISTERS IN THE EU MARCH 2020 Greece is expected to do the same. This does impose fees once the register is set up. Malta not constitute the ‘public’ access that is imposes fees, but makes the beneficial required by the 5th AML Directive and we owners’ information accessible only to have therefore graded these countries as people who agree to use the information for red. the purpose of carrying out customer due diligence (e.g. banks and lawyers). The fees Tipping off beneficial owners. At least range from €1 per company (Estonia) to €7 one country – Greece – states that the per company (Finland) and include, in the beneficial owners of companies will be case of Sweden, a one-off payment of €41 or, informed if someone has searched for them in the case of Greece, a payment to be made (apart from if the search was carried out by of €20 for every 10 searches carried out public authorities). This is highly problematic (rather than for information obtained). It is as any money launderer, tax evader or possible that there are more countries that terrorist financier will be tipped off that they intend to set up paywalls as we do not know are being investigated, enabling them to re- the intentions of some countries that have incorporate the company elsewhere or not yet set up their register. The 5th AMLD otherwise attempt to cover their tracks. Directive allows for countries to charge Indeed, the global anti-money laundering people for access to beneficial ownership standards are so concerned about the information as long as the charge does not potential for tipping off that they forbid exceed the administrative costs of making financial institutions from informing the information available (which, in the case customers if they suspect them of money of some of the larger fees, we wonder laundering and have informed authorities whether this could be true). We have graded about this. any country that has a paywall in place as Making it hard to search for companies. amber because meaningful anti-corruption Two countries – Poland and Portugal – investigations often require access to require users to know the tax identification multiple documents, quickly turning a small number of a company in order to be able to fee into a high paywall, constituting a search for its beneficial owners. While it significant barrier to use for investigative seems that this information can be found journalists and civil society groups, online for most companies, the beneficial particularly given that it is essential for ownership register does not tell users where investigators from the Global South to find to go to find it out and it took us some time out who owns European companies. to find. We cannot think of any reason why There are 17 countries which do not such an obstacle should be placed in the way appear to have a beneficial ownership of users and have therefore graded countries register that is open to all members of the with these types of obstacle as amber. public. This includes six countries – Czechia, Setting up paywalls. Seven countries – Finland, France, Portugal, Romania and Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Spain – which have a register but only make Ireland, and Sweden – require users to pay in it available to people that can demonstrate order to access beneficial ownership legitimate interest or purpose of use, four information. Two additional countries countries – Belgium, Croatia, Portugal and (Greece and Italy) suggest that they will Sweden – that make the register available GLOBAL WITNESS 3 BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REGISTERS IN THE EU MARCH 2020 only to citizens or residents of a few information on companies is available to. We European countries, and eight countries – have not looked at how well Member States Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, have done in implementing the registers of Malta, Netherlands and Slovakia – which the beneficial owners of trusts that the 5th either do not appear to have any beneficial AML Directive requires to be made available ownership register as yet or have one, but to anyone with a legitimate interest. Neither not one that is available to members of the have we looked at the quality of the public with a legitimate interest. All of these company data – the percentage of countries have been graded red, but they companies that have reported who their encompass a wide range of situations. For beneficial owners are, nor whether there is example, France has passed legislation that any system in place to verify the self- will set up a public register that is free to use reported data. Our previous analysis of UK and that is expected to be up and running beneficial ownership data which identified soon, whereas in Malta it is only possible to important data quality and verification gaps access beneficial ownership information for as well as suspicious entries was only the purpose of carrying out customer due possible because of the register’s availability diligence, making the register not compliant as open data. For this reason, we strongly with the 4th AML Directive (which requires recommend that Member States set up open access to anyone with a legitimate interest), data registers. let alone the 5th AML Directive. We call on the European Commission to get We have written extensively in the past on tough with the Member States that have why beneficial ownership registers should be failed to properly implement the 5th AML public; why it’s important that they are set Directive.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Combating Corruption in Latin America: Congressional Considerations
    Combating Corruption in Latin America: Congressional Considerations May 21, 2019 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R45733 SUMMARY R45733 Combating Corruption in Latin America May 21, 2019 Corruption of public officials in Latin America continues to be a prominent political concern. In the past few years, 11 presidents and former presidents in Latin America have been forced from June S. Beittel, office, jailed, or are under investigation for corruption. As in previous years, Transparency Coordinator International’s Corruption Perceptions Index covering 2018 found that the majority of Analyst in Latin American respondents in several Latin American nations believed that corruption was increasing. Several Affairs analysts have suggested that heightened awareness of corruption in Latin America may be due to several possible factors: the growing use of social media to reveal violations and mobilize Peter J. Meyer citizens, greater media and investor scrutiny, or, in some cases, judicial and legislative Specialist in Latin investigations. Moreover, as expectations for good government tend to rise with greater American Affairs affluence, the expanding middle class in Latin America has sought more integrity from its politicians. U.S. congressional interest in addressing corruption comes at a time of this heightened rejection of corruption in public office across several Latin American and Caribbean Clare Ribando Seelke countries. Specialist in Latin American Affairs Whether or not the perception that corruption is increasing is accurate, it is nevertheless fueling civil society efforts to combat corrupt behavior and demand greater accountability. Voter Maureen Taft-Morales discontent and outright indignation has focused on bribery and the economic consequences of Specialist in Latin official corruption, diminished public services, and the link of public corruption to organized American Affairs crime and criminal impunity.
    [Show full text]
  • The Panama Papers: How Money Does Not Trickle Down but Simply ‘Disappears’ Published on 12
    The Panama Papers: How Money Does Not Trickle down but Simply ‘Disappears’ Published on 12. April 2016 by Armanda Cetrulo The ‘Panama Papers’ caused quite a stir in the international media and launched a heated political debate. The sheer amount of the disclosed data was unprecedented, indeed the ‘biggest leak in the history of data journalism’, as commented on by Edward Snowden on the 4th of April: with 11.5m documents and 2.6 terabytes of information taken from Mossack Fonseca’s internal database1 the amount of data exceeds that of all other recent leaks (as shown in the graph below taken from The Guardian). At the centre of the scandal is Mossack Fonseca, a law firm, founded by Jürgen Mossack, the son of a German ex SS officer, and Panamanian novelist/lawyer Ramón Fonseca, a former adviser to Panama’s President Juan Carlos Varela, and already involved in a corruption scandal concerning the Brazilian oil company Petrobras. The firm has offices in 35 locations around the globe, and, as described by ICIJ, it is ‘one of the world’s top creators of shell companies, corporate structures that can be used to hide ownership of assets’ with more than 214,000 offshore companies connected to people in more than 200 countries and territories. The vastness of data is reflected in the variety of personalities, countries and institutions involved. As pointed out by the Italian journalist Baranes, Mossack Fonseca’s clients come from 204 different countries and, in a sense, they are ‘more representative’ than the United Nations, which only consists of 193 members.
    [Show full text]
  • Indictment.And.Interrogation.Of.David
    MPF Federal Public Ministry State Attorney's Office in Paraná EXCELLENT MISSION OF FEDERAL JUDGE OF THE 13th FEDERAL COURT OF THE SUBSECTION JUDICIARY OF CURITIBA - PARANÁ. Case No. 5055362-06.2017.4.04.7000 EPROC Classification: No confidentiality Classification in SINGLE: Normal Author: Federal Public Ministry Accused: David Muino Suarez THE FEDERAL PUBLIC MINISTRY , through the Attorneys of the Republic which subscribe, with focus on article 403, § 3, of the CPP, comes, in attention to the decision issued in event 288, present your FINAL CLAIMS , as set out below. 1. REPORT This is an unconditional public criminal action instituted based on the offer of complaint by the FEDERAL PUBLIC MINISTRY in the face of the accused DAVID MUINO SUAREZ , for the crime of money laundering, capitulated in article 1, caput, c / c § 4 of Law no. 9,613 / 98, for 3 (three) times, in a material contest (art. 69), in the form of art. 29 of the Penal Code. According to the complaint, DAVID MUINO SUAREZ , a native of Spain, working in the as account manager at BSI bank, Zurich branch, Switzerland, brokered the constitution offshore companies at the Panamanian office MOSSACK FONSECA, and successively promoted the opening of bank accounts at that financial institution securitized by ACONA INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS (account number Z203217), SANDFIELD CONSULTING (account number Z212669AA) and STINGDALE HOLDINGS (account number 71055026), accounts in which values from corruption crimes carried out in the face of Petrobras were carried over. As reported, the accused
    [Show full text]
  • Film & Faith in Dialogue Also Inside
    May 2020 Issue No. 296 Visual Parables Film & Faith in Dialogue From Upper left, clockwise: I, the Worst of All; Clown of Freedom; American Factory; Laundromat Also Inside: Atlantics; Tigertail; & more Beginning new feature on INSIGHT Series Visual Contents May 2020 Issue No. 296 Parables Streaming Video I, the Worst of All ............................................................ 3 Editor, Reviewer Alone in Berlin ................................................................ 6 Dr. Edward McNulty The Laundromat ............................................................. 10 Publisher Atlantics ............................................................................ 13 David Crumm, ReadtheSpirit Tigertail ............................................................................. 16 Web Consultants Selah and the Spades .................................................... 19 Becky Hile Finding Grace .................................................................. 21 Michael Thompson Dads ................................................................................... 22 Columnist American Factory .......................................................... 24 Rev. Doug Sweet Reel Redemption ........................................................... 26 ISSN: 1064-6485 J.E.S.U.S.A. ........................................................................ 30 VISUAL PARABLES is published monthly as an Jump Shot ........................................................................ 32 on-line journal, and reviews are posted
    [Show full text]
  • Panama Papers Law Firm Mossack Fonseca 'To Close'
    Panama Papers Leak Panama Papers law firm Mossack Fonseca ‘to close’ Scandal over use of offshore financial centres by global wealthy hits business Cat Rutter Pooley and Barney Thompson in London YESTERDAY Mossack Fonseca, the law firm at the centre of the Panama Papers scandal, will close at the end of March, according to a statement from the firm obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. “The reputational deterioration, the media campaign, the financial siege and the irregular actions of some Panamanian authorities, have caused irreparable damage,” the statement said. As a result there would be a “total cessation of operations to the public at the end of this month after 40 years”. The ICIJ reported that Mossack Fonseca had told clients in November that it had had to “significantly reduce” its staff due to changes to the laws and an “adverse business environment”. The firm said it had previously had a presence in more than 40 countries, with “more than 600 collaborators around the world” before the data leak that exposed the widespread use of offshore financial centres by the global wealthy. By the time of its demise, it had fewer than 50 employees. The Panama Papers scandal, which erupted in April 2016, centred on the leak of 11.5m files from Mossack Fonseca, one of the largest offshore law firms, to the ICIJ and a range of news organisations. Among the stories were revelations about offshore accounts linked to the father of David Cameron, former UK prime minister; a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Iceland’s Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, who later resigned as prime minister.
    [Show full text]
  • Aktualijos! O Ką Manai Tu?
    AKTUALIJOS! O KĄ MANAI TU? 2016 M. BALANDIS. NR 3 (9) Šiame numeryje: „Panama Papers“ duomenys: Olandija atmetė sutartį su ICIJ kartu su įvairiomis ž iniasklaidos Ukraina: Nyderlandų rinke jai priemone mis is viso pasaulio is tyre 2016 m. balandž io 6 dienos daugybę dokumentų, kurie atskleide referendume atmete ES ir Ukrainos nelegalų mokesc ių sle pimo tinklą. bendradarbiavimo sutartį. Naujienlaiškį remia: Naujienlaiškį rengia: Jūsų komentarų ir pasiūlymų laukiame: [email protected] Paskutinis šių mokslo metų numeris pasirodys gegužės 9-11 dienomis. Panama „Panama Papers“ duomenys ICIJ kartu su įvairiomis žiniasklaidos priemonėmis iš viso pasaulio ištyrė daugybę dokumentų, kurie atskleidė nelegalų mokesčių slėpimo tinklą. 7 dalykai, kuriuos turite ž inoti apie Panama Papers (15min.lt): Naudingos nuorodos: Tiriamosios ž urnalistikos asociacija „International Consortium of Terminai, pade siantys Investigative Journalists“ (ICIJ) paskelbe 2,6 terabaitų nutekintų suprasti Panama Papers dokumentų, pavadintų Panama Papers. <...> (15min.lt) Kas yra Panama Papers? Panama Papers ICIJ kartu su įvairiomis ž iniasklaidos priemone mis is viso pasaulio paais kinantis filmukas is tyre daugybę dokumentų, kurie atskleide nelegalų mokesc ių (15min.lt) sle pimo tinklą, su kuriuo susiję Rusijos prežidento Vladimiro Putino draugai, įvairu s JAV korupcija įtarti asmenys bei FIFA etikos komiteto nariai. <...> Dokumentuose minimi 12 dabartinių ir buvusių pasaulio lyderių, taip pat dar 128 politikai ir kiti vies i asmenys. Be su V.Putinu (pats Rusijos lyderis ne ra pamine tas nei viename dokumente) ar FIFA siejamų asmenų, dokumentai meta kaltinimus Islandijos premjerui Sigmundurui Gunnlaugssonui, pasinaudojus su ž mona siejama ofs orinei įmone, nusle pus milijonines investicijas. Be to, Argentinos prežidentas Mauricio Macris taip pat nebuvo atskleidęs rys ių su viena ofs orine įmone savo mokesc ių deklaracijoje.
    [Show full text]
  • Combating Corruption in Latin America: Congressional Considerations
    Combating Corruption in Latin America: Congressional Considerations May 21, 2019 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R45733 SUMMARY R45733 Combating Corruption in Latin America May 21, 2019 Corruption of public officials in Latin America continues to be a prominent political concern. In the past few years, 11 presidents and former presidents in Latin America have been forced from June S. Beittel, office, jailed, or are under investigation for corruption. As in previous years, Transparency Coordinator International’s Corruption Perceptions Index covering 2018 found that the majority of Analyst in Latin American respondents in several Latin American nations believed that corruption was increasing. Several Affairs analysts have suggested that heightened awareness of corruption in Latin America may be due to several possible factors: the growing use of social media to reveal violations and mobilize Peter J. Meyer citizens, greater media and investor scrutiny, or, in some cases, judicial and legislative Specialist in Latin investigations. Moreover, as expectations for good government tend to rise with greater American Affairs affluence, the expanding middle class in Latin America has sought more integrity from its politicians. U.S. congressional interest in addressing corruption comes at a time of this heightened rejection of corruption in public office across several Latin American and Caribbean Clare Ribando Seelke countries. Specialist in Latin American Affairs Whether or not the perception that corruption is increasing is accurate, it is nevertheless fueling civil society efforts to combat corrupt behavior and demand greater accountability. Voter Maureen Taft-Morales discontent and outright indignation has focused on bribery and the economic consequences of Specialist in Latin official corruption, diminished public services, and the link of public corruption to organized American Affairs crime and criminal impunity.
    [Show full text]
  • Ramses Owens Et Al Indictment
    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ---- -x UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SEALED INDICTMENT -v. - 18 Cr. RAMSES OWENS, a/k/a "Ramses Owens Saad, 11 DIRK BRAUER, RICHARD GAFFEY , =CRIM a/k/a "Dick Gaffey," and HARALD JOACHIM VON DER GOLTZ , a/k/a "H .J. van der Goltz, " a/k/a "Johan von der Goltz ," Defendants. -- -- -------- - -- - -- X COUNT ONE (Conspiracy to Defraud- the United States) (OWENSr BRAUER} The Grand Jury charges: The Defendants and Associated Entities 1 . At all t i mes relevant to this Indictment, RAMSES OWENS, a/k/a "Ramses Owens Saad, 1' the defendant, was a citizen and resident of Panama. 2. From at least in or around 1992, up throu gh and including at least in or around 2010 , RAMSES OWENS, a/k/a "Ramses Owens Saad, " the defendant, worked as an attorney at Mossack Fonseca & Co . ( "Mossack Fonseca"} , a Panama- based global law firm and entity that specialized in creating foundations and trusts, incorporating offshore companies for a fee, and setting up overseas bank accounts for clients, including U.S. taxpayer clients . 3. At all times relevant to this Indictment, DIRK BRAUER, the defendant, was a citizen of Germany and a resident of Panama. 4. From at least in or around 2005, up through and including at least in or around 2017, DIRK BRAUER, the defendant, worked as an investment advisor for Mossfon Asset Management, S.A. ( "Mos sfon Asset Management") , a Panama-based asset management company, which was closely affiliated with Mossack Fonseca. 5. While employed as an attorney at Mossack Fonseca, RAMSES OWENS, a/k/a "Ramses Owens Saad," the defendant, assisted clients of Mossack Fonseca, including U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR a DAILY PUBLICATION of the DIALOGUE Tuesday, April 5, 2016
    LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR A DAILY PUBLICATION OF THE DIALOGUE www.thedialogue.org Tuesday, April 5, 2016 BOARD OF ADVISORS FEATURED Q&A TODAY’S NEWS Diego Arria Director, Columbus Group POLITICAL Genaro Arriagada Who Is Likely to Nonresident Senior Fellow, Panama Firm Kept Inter-American Dialogue Internationally Joyce Chang Global Head of Research, Succeed Correa Sanctioned Clients JPMorgan Chase & Co. Mossack Fonseca, the Pana- W. Bowman Cutter Former Partner, in Ecuador? ma-based law fi rm at the center of E.M. Warburg Pincus a massive data leak, aided clients Dirk Donath who were subject to international Senior Partner, sanctions, documents show. Catterton Aimara Page 2 Marlene Fernández Corporate Vice President for Government Relations, BUSINESS Arcos Dorados Peter Hakim Vale to Sell Stake President Emeritus, Inter-American Dialogue in CSA Plant to Donna Hrinak ThyssenKrupp President, Boeing Latin America Brazilian mining company Vale Jon Huenemann said it plans to sell its 27 percent Vice President, U.S. & Int’l Affairs, Philip Morris International Rafael Correa, pictured last week at the presidential palace in Quito, was fi rst elected Ecuador’s stake in the Companhia Siderúr- president in 2006. // File Photo: Ecuadorean Government. gica do Atlantico steel plant to its James R. Jones Co-chair, Manatt Jones German partner. Global Strategies LLC Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa told a group of broad- Page 3 Craig A. Kelly Director, Americas International cast journalists last month that he will not run again for POLITICAL Gov’t Relations, Exxon Mobil president in 2017. Who is Correa likely to position as his John Maisto Q Brazil Lawyer Director, U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Tax Justice Focus
    THE CORRUPTION ISSUE VOLUME 11, NUMBER 1 TAX JUSTICE FOCUS EDITORIAL Want to Know How Squeaky Clean 1 Britain Is? Ask the People! The newsletter of the tax justice network David Whyte FEATURES The Great PFI Swindle 4 Allyson Pollock The Panama Papers Must Make Us 6 Re-Think Corruption Nicholas Shaxson Wild-West Property Trading in Offshore 8 Tax Havens WANT TO KNOW HOW Vickie Cooper ‘Bank Crimes’: Endemic Corruption 11 SQUEAKY CLEAN BRITAIN in UK Financial Services IS? ASK THE PEOPLE! Steve Tombs BOOK REVIEW Sun & Sea Tourism: Fantasy and 13 editorial by David Whyte Finance of the All-Inclusive Industry by Linda M. Ambrosie Review by David Hampton As Britain prepares to host a ‘corruption summit’ the Panama Papers have raised awkward questions about the country’s role as NEWS IN BRIEF 15 an enabler of transnational organized crime. Meanwhile evidence is AFTER PANAMA: FIVE STEPS 17 emerging that ordinary people are unwilling to follow elite cues on TO PUSH BACK AGAINST OFFSHORE CORRUPTION what constitutes corruption. s we began work on this issue of Tax Justice Focus, at the beginning of last month, the ‘Panama Papers’ leak of Mossack Fonseca’s fi les went viral. If Guest Editor: David Whyte Athe various revelations about the Prime Minister and involvement of British Editor: Dan Hind individuals and companies might have proved to be a moment of exposure for British Contributing Editor: John Christensen politics and British capitalism, there are some key questions that remain unanswered Design and layout: www.tabd.co.uk in the wake of the scandal.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2017
    Annual Report 2017 Table of Contents About OCCRP... ........................4 Developing the Next Generation: The Russian Language Media Network ....50 Our Mission ...........................5 Recognition .......................... 51 The Vision ............................6 Our International Media Member Centres ......................8 Partners in 2017 ......................58 Meet our Global Editors ............... 12 Board of Directors ....................60 OCCRP in Numbers ..................22 Rising Threats ........................64 A Year of Impact .....................27 We Were There: 2017 Global Investigative Accelerating Impact: The Global Anti- Journalism Conference ...............66 Corruption Consortium ...............44 Combined Financial Statements .......71 The Investigative Dashboard .........46 Our Donors ..........................76 OCCRP Data .........................48 3 About OCCRP Founded in 2006 by Drew Sullivan and Paul worldwide. With more than 80 cross- Radu, the Organized Crime and Corruption border stories reaching more than 200 Reporting Project (OCCRP) is a non-profit million readers and viewers annually, media organization that provides an OCCRP has quietly become the world’s investigative reporting platform for the most prolific investigative reporting OCCRP Network. OCCRP now connects organization. Our websites inform more 45 non-profit investigative centers in than 6 million readers and viewers monthly, 34 countries, scores of journalists and reaching an additional 200 million readers several major
    [Show full text]
  • ANNUAL REPORT Photo by Spenser Hans, Unsplash.Com, Covered Under CC License
    ORGANIZED CRIME AND CORRUPTION REPORTING PROJECT 2016 ANNUAL REPORT Photo by Spenser Hans, Unsplash.com, covered under CC License “Many news networks are cartoonish parodies of their former selves, individual billionaires appear to have taken up newspaper ownership as a hobby, limiting coverage of serious matters concerning the wealthy, and serious investigative journalists lack funding.” —’John Doe’, anonymous source of the Panama Papers 2 Amman, Jordan Moscow, Russia Bogota, Colombia Riga, Latvia Bucharest, Romania Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Johannesburg, South Africa Tbilisi, Georgia Kyiv, Ukraine Washington DC, USA Table of Contents Vision of the Future . 4 Who We Are . 6 Board of Directors . 8 Why We Need Investigative Reporting . 10 Our Stories: Highlights from 2016 . 12 2016 Was a Turning Point for OCCRP . 17 Gauging The Impact . 4 OCCRP Tech Team: Digitizing a Revolution . 24 Fact-Checking: Writing Stories Based on Solid Evidence . 30 Awards . 31 OCCRP’s International Media Partners . 36 Our Growing Network . 38 Our Donors . 45 Combined Financial Statements . 46 Looking Forward . 52 3 Vision of the Future The media landscape continues to change, and everyone is struggling to keep up . That’s why, at OCCRP, we’re deter- mined to stay on the cutting edge -- and this year is no dif- ferent . The unique model we’ve developed allows regional re- porters who know their countries better than anyone to come to us and get the editors, programmers, researchers, and re- sources they need to do great cross-border investigations . Think of us as the Uber or AirBnB of journalism – we don’t have our own reporters, but we’ve built the infrastructure that lets them reach new heights .
    [Show full text]