Lusinee Kamara (UID 7934) the Minister of Finance during the Liberian Transitional Government’s (NTGL) tenure, his deputy Tugbeh Doe (UID 539988) and the former minister of Commerce Samuel Wlue (UID 342031) were all arrested this month. All are named on the ECOWAS audit report on corruption and are the first to have been arrested. It is possible that further arrests and charges will be made in the coming months. Kamara has been in the World-Check database since 2000 as a heightened risk individual due to his PEP status. During last month World-Check’s research team updated over 17,000 profiles and created 18,000 new ones, ensuring our users are up-to-date and warned of risk.

Peter Hartz (UID 189702) the originator of Germany’s labour reforms under Chancellor Gerhard Shroeder (UID 2980) and also the former director of personnel at VW has had fraud, embezzlement and facilitating bribe charges leveled against him. The amount concerned is reported to be 2.5 million euros. In his position at VW, Hartz was under pressure to ensure that the unions complied with management wishes and to do this it is reported that he made fraudulent bonus payments to the union boss as well as paying for private flights for him. He was also involved in signing off expenses which were being used for personal use. This month he admitted involvement. Hartz resigned from VW in July 2005 but World-Check profiled him as a high risk individual two years prior to that.

Celso Pitta (UID 189430) was dismissed as Mayor of Sao Paulo in 2000, this month he has been accused by Brazilian authorities of passive corruption, crimes against the financial system, money laundering, organized crime and gang formation. Earlier in his political career Pitta had regularly been investigated for and indeed convicted on corruption charges, but had not been forced to resign his political office due to lengthy appeals against these convictions. Since 2000, authorities have gathered information regarding alleged involvement in the Banestado case, illegal financial transactions, money laundering and tax evasion. In January 2005 Pitta was arrested for obstruction of justice. In May 2006 he was accused of placing over US$60 million in offshore tax havens. Pitta has recently denied having bank accounts abroad. Use our Graphic Display to reveal his associates and family members including his former spouse Nicea (UID 196159) and print out the result for your record of due diligence.

Richard Sakala (UID 93827) aide to the previous Zambian president Frederick Chiluba (UID 674) was released from serving a three-year jail sentence for corruption only to be re-arrested this month on similar charges. This time he has been charged with abuse of authority and accused of allegedly selling houses in the Presidential Housing initiative in the capital, to a non-tenant. Sakala was at the time Chairman of the project. Meanwhile a special sitting of the British High Court will take place in November in Lusaka, featuring Salaka’s former boss Chiluba, who is accused of stealing tens of million of dollars of public funds. Chiluba is not allowed to leave Zambia, as he is also facing criminal charges at home.

This month Sam Currin (UID 451053), a former leading public figure in North Carolina, agreed to plead guilty to money laundering in a massive securities fraud scheme, in addition he pleaded guilty to failing to disclose income to the IRS as well as a charge of obstructing justice. Currin started his career as a federal prosecutor and in 1984 he became a Superior Court judge, in 1996 he was elected state chairman of the Republican Party, a position he held until 1999. Currin, it is reported laundered US$1.45 million on behalf of one of his clients. A man more used to putting people behind bars could now face as much as nine years in federal prison for this crime.

A group of Nicaraguan PEPs is currently under investigation for involvement in the bankruptcy of five banks. The accused include former Minister of Finance Esteban Duquestrada Sacasa (UID 978), who has been in the World-Check database for nearly six years. In May this year Sacasa, was cleared of money laundering charges connected to former President Arnoldo Aleman and his family in Panama. Also under investigation is the former president of the National Bank between 1997-2001, Noel Ernesto Ramirez (UID 2740) and Sacasa Cruz (UID 2877) who resigned as Superintendent of Nicaragua’s banks in July 2003, when allegations surfaced regarding his mismanagement and involvement in the bankruptcy of Interbank, Bancafe, Bamer and Banic. All the accused reportedly fled the country.

The former Illinois Secretary of State and Governor George Ryan (UID 15056) was convicted in April 2006 of racketeering conspiracy, mail and tax fraud, lying to FBI agents and filing false tax returns. The offences occurred during his years as an Illinois officer bearer from 1991 to 2003. The court was told that Ryan issued contracts to his good friend Illinois businessman Larry Warner, (UID 153495) and others. In return for his favourable consideration Ryan received paybacks, including vacations, gifts and money. It was also alleged that Ryan used state money and workers for his political campaigning. This month Ryan was sentenced to six and a half years in a federal prison and his friend Warner received 40 months behind bars.

In August 2004 the Cuban terrorist Luis Posada Carriles (UID 118838) was allegedly assisted in leaving Panama with the collaboration of a number of civil servants of the Mireya Moscoso’s regime. The investigation was then declared closed. In May this year, the Attorney General’s Office re-opened the case to determine the responsibility of the former minister of Government and Justice, Arnulfo Escalona (UID 151240), the director of Immigration, Ilka de Bares (UID 328656), and the Major of the National Police, Casto Amor Ramos (UID475847). The prosecutor is reported to have declared them provisionally free of evasion charges. However, this month Mercedes de León, the first Panamanian anti-corruption attorney requested the opening of a criminal trial against Escalona, also former Migration deputy Javier Tapia (UID 475848) and Ilka de Bares’ spouse the former National Police Chief Carlos Bares Weeden (UID 328655). Carriles was profiled in late 2004 when he appeared in the US Immigration and Customs (ICE) press releases. World-Check monitors all major sanctions and embargo lists, as well as regulatory and enforcement agency releases, creating and updating profiles continuously. Our Data-file users, who regularly screen their client base, are therefore alerted to any change in a customer’s status.

The president of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (UID 291) came to power in January 2001 and is now on her second term of office. She has been in World-Check since 2001. From 2005 she has been the subject of impeachment actions by the opposition and accusations of corruption involving her spouse Jose Miguel Tuason Arroyo and her eldest son Juan Miguel, although these allegations were reportedly dismissed as propaganda. Her husband has since gone into self-imposed exile in Hong Kong. Check out his profile and connections UID 35971. Arroyo has faced and overcome allegations throughout her tenure not least of which was the “Garci tape” scandal involving alleged fixing of the 2004 presidential elections returns. In August 2005, the International People’s Tribunal found her guilty of human rights violations. A further impeachment action is due to be heard this month. Keep yourself in the loop and aware of the latest developments by making use of our News-Check facility which provides up-to-the-minute news via the Online search page.

The former head of the National Security Office (NBU) in the Czech Republic and a recent director of the state run oil company Cepro AS, is under investigation for fraud and criminal conspiracy during his tenure at the SOE. It is not the first time Tomas Kadlec has drawn unwanted attention his way, he also came under the spotlight in 2004 when he was accused of interfering in the vetting process during the appointment of a state official. This current investigation concerns alleged borrowings from convicted criminal Radovan Krejcir. World-Check profiles not only politicians but also those who hold or previously held positions of influence within a country's infrastructure and their business associates. Check out Kadlec's (UID 250502) network web by using the unique Graphic Display feature. World-Check thinks of innovative and useful tools to make your KYC and due diligence screening simpler and faster.