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Bribery & Corruption

Over 40 years of articles and reference material

A page dedicated to global, regional, UK and US anti-money laundering developments and initiatives.

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UK SFO appoints Graham McNulty as Interim Director from 6 Apr 2026, bringing a veteran economic crime investigator and former SFO COO to lead the Agency following Nick Ephgrave’s retirement

February 26, 2026

Before becoming interim director of the SFO, Graham McNulty served as the SFO’s Chief Operating Officer, a role he took up in September 2024. In that position, he was responsible for the agency’s operations, strategy, and organisational reform, including improving case management systems and expanding the use of technology in complex fraud investigations. Prior to joining the SFO, McNulty had a 31-year career in policing, holding senior roles focused on serious and organised crime, economic crime, and national investigations…

OLAF reports that an EU-wide enforcement operation has seized over 3.1 million counterfeit or illicit pills and large quantities of illegal medical products

February 25, 2026

Under Operation SHIELD VI, OLAF coordinated customs authorities from 14 EU Member States to target the illegal trade in counterfeit medicines, anabolic steroids, doping substances and unregulated food supplements, leading to the seizure of more than 104,000 packages, 23,014 ampoules and flasks, and over 1,000 kg of illicit substances. The operation, conducted with partners including Europol and national enforcement agencies, aims to disrupt criminal networks supplying dangerous counterfeit medical products and protect consumers from substances that may contain unknown ingredients, incorrect dosages or no active pharmaceutical components.

UK SFO secures a £283,321 confiscation order against a fraudster behind the Harlequin Group £226M Caribbean timeshare scam – the first asset recovery from one of the UK’s largest investment frauds

February 25, 2026

The SFO uncovered a range of concealed assets during its financial investigation, including cash held in hidden bank accounts, suspected overseas property interests in Thailand and Dubai, and funds transferred to relatives as “tainted gifts”. Ames had persuaded thousands of investors—many pensioners and first-time buyers—to invest life savings into Caribbean resort developments that largely never materialised, and authorities say the confiscation order represents an initial step in ensuring he does not retain the financial benefit of the fraud…

U.S SEC updates its Enforcement Manual with standardised Wells procedures, joint settlement-waiver review, and enhanced cooperation and criminal referral rules to streamline investigations

February 24, 2026

The revisions streamline procedures, promote consistency, and enhance effectiveness in protecting investors and maintaining orderly markets. Key changes include standardizing the Wells process with clear timelines and senior-staff involvement, allowing simultaneous consideration of settlements and waiver requests to improve transparency and efficiency, and updating frameworks for cooperation, internal collaboration, criminal referrals, and best practices. Going forward, the manual will undergo annual reviews to ensure it stays current…

UK SFO sentences a fraudster to 4 years for a global scam selling 60,000+ aircraft parts with fake safety certificates, defrauding airlines and threatening aviation safety

February 23, 2026

The individual sold more than 60,000 engine components to airlines and maintenance companies, falsely claiming they met regulatory safety standards. This not only defrauded buyers of millions of pounds but also posed a serious risk to aviation safety, as the parts were unverified and potentially unsafe. For these offences, the court sentenced the defendant to four years in prison, underscoring the SFO’s commitment to tackling complex fraud that endangers both the financial and operational integrity of critical industries…

TI publishes its CPI 2025, revealing global corruption is rising, with the world average falling to 42/100 and democracies like US, UK, France are also slipping, flagging how weak institutions threaten governance

February 20, 2026

Key drivers of corruption include politicised justice systems, concentrated political power, restricted civic space, and entrenched inequality. Regional patterns show severe challenges in Sub‑Saharan Africa and Asia Pacific, while some Western democracies face stalled progress. The report underscores that corruption is no longer confined to developing countries, threatening public services, democratic institutions, and global governance, and calls…

US DOJ convicts former VP of Corsa Coal Corporation for leading a major international bribery and ML scheme, using bribes and kickbacks to secure $140M in coal supply contracts

February 19, 2026

Between 2016 and 2020, Hobson paid bribes through an intermediary to Egyptian government officials at the state‑owned Al Nasr Company for Coke and Chemicals to secure nearly $140 million in coal contracts, and also received over $200,000 in kickbacks. He was found guilty of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy, money laundering, and wire fraud; sentencing will be determined by a federal judge…

Spotlight on Corruption warns that crypto political donations threaten the UK democracy, as their anonymity and lack of traceability can hide the true source of funds and enable foreign or illicit influence

February 19, 2026

With no tailored UK rules yet, and some parties already accepting crypto donations, the briefing urges the Electoral Commission to provide strict guidance—such as banning anonymous wallets, using regulated intermediaries, and converting crypto to sterling—and recommends that the Government consider banning crypto donations altogether, alongside tightening corporate and foreign funding rules…

TI UK reveals that emails between Mandelson-Epstein expose Britain’s broken lobbying system, where hidden influence on govt decisions thrives, calling for a full register transparency

February 16, 2026

The article argues these revelations expose deep flaws in the UK’s lobbying system, where opaque practices and narrow transparency registers allow significant influence‑peddling outside public view, and calls for a comprehensive lobbying register covering all forms of communication and all lobbyists to improve democratic accountability and prevent undue influence on policy…

FinCEN launches a Whistleblower Program rewards portal where individuals can confidentially report AML, sanctions, and FC violations, with rewards of 10–30% if tips lead to successful enforcement

February 13, 2026

FinCEN operates a whistleblower program that incentivises individuals to confidentially report violations or conspiracies under key anti-money laundering and sanctions laws, including the BSA, IEEPA, TWEA, and Kingpin Act. Whistleblowers may be eligible for cash awards if their tips lead to enforcement actions by the Treasury or DOJ resulting in penalties over $1 million. All submissions are kept confidential, and the information is shared with relevant Treasury and DOJ offices responsible for enforcement…

GRECO’s 5th Evaluation Report praises Finland’s anti-corruption progress, with robust integrity and law enforcement reforms, while urging final steps on ministerial codes, training, and enforcement

February 12, 2026

The compliance addendum notes progress through a national anti-corruption strategy, integrity training and lobbying transparency measures, improving implementation of several Fifth Round recommendations. However, gaps remain in formal ethics rules, asset disclosure and legal embedding of reforms, meaning Finland remains under continued GRECO monitoring…

Basel highlights key lessons from recent Wolfsberg Group discussions on VASPs, urging stronger trust, standardised DD, and better information sharing with banks to safely integrate virtual assets

February 11, 2026

It explains that banks are cautious about onboarding VASPs due to persistent uncertainty around risks and compliance expectations, and that clearer regulatory guidance — particularly on stablecoins and permissible information sharing — could help bridge this gap. Speakers emphasised the need for common language, risk‑based due diligence frameworks, and structured tools such as standardised questionnaires to align risk appetites and due diligence processes between banks and VASPs.

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