How global media is uncovering hard to track corruption

• Number of companies that were closed by authorities in the last five years based on OCCRP's investigations
• Concurrently, tax authorities globally also recovered hidden assets worth $ 600 million based on OCCRP's reports

• Number of persons arrested on corruption charges based on OCCRP's investigation in 2015,
• This includes a former president of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Additionally, ten government officials resigned or were sacked, including former prime minister of Kazakhastan.
• Moreover, about 20 laws were changed by various countries based on OCCRP's recommendation.

• The amount of money stolen from the Russian government by corrupt politicians,
• Called the 'Laundromat', it is one of the biggest, well entrenched and institutionalised scams in recent history.
• Money was moved from Russian shell companies to European Union banks through Latvia, facilitated by corrupt Moldovan judges.
• Interestingly, only one bank in Latvia and Moldova was used. In Russian, however, about 19 banks, owned powerful people (including cousin of Vladimir Putin) played a major role.
• After the OCCRP investigation, Russian police investigated the withdrawal of 700 billion Roubles via 21 banks, Moldova launched investigation and 19 UK companies faced a crackdown.

• Most wanted criminals of organised crime, according to OCCRP.
• Of these, only three, Matteo Messina Dennaro of Italy, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes of Mexico and Joaquin Guzman of Mexico, have been arrested till now.
• Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, India's arch-enemy, finds a mention in the list.

• Campaigns for investigative journalists, who are under fire in their countries for their work:

  Khadija Ismayilova in Azerbaijan and

  Anuska Delic in Slovenia

• Khadija Ismayilova, a journalist with OCCRP, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty remains in prison since December 2014 in Azerbaijan for 'incitement to suicide', 'embezzlement', and 'abuse of power to slander'.

• Anuska Delic, is accused of publishing classified state intelligence that can lead to three years in prison. She had exposed connections between Slovenian neo-nazi groups and Slovenian Democratic Party.

Clearly, the OCCRP's work explains how the media is still the only hope for many.

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