Archive of posts filed under the Domestic corruption category.

Fraudulent Contracts for Peter the Great Cruiser Overhaul

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Introduction As Russia seeks to rearm and modernize its military, one of the biggest obstacles it faces is the endemic corruption throughout the military-industrial system, including the Ministry of Defense, the armed forces, and the arms industry. These issues are discussed in depth in the World Peace Foundation occasional paper “Corruption in the Russian defense …

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Brazil’s DCNS Submarine Contract

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Introduction Operation Car Wash (“Lava Jato”), the sprawling investigation into public-sector corruption that brought down Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, is also threatening to tarnish a submarine contract signed in 2009 with French state-controlled shipbuilder DCNS. In addition to agreeing to provide four Scorpène diesel-powered attack submarines, the French company committed to help the Brazilian military …

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Nigeria’s Armsgate scandal

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Introduction Most corruption in arms procurement takes the form of bribes or kickbacks. In return for being awarded an arms contract, often as a result of having selection criteria manipulated in its favor, the supplier company pays bribes to officials involved in the decision-making process. Payments typically are channeled through an in-country middleman or agent. …

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The Boeing Tanker Case

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Introduction The U.S. defense acquisition system’s “revolving door” is legendary, but few cases of officials performing favors in exchange for post-retirement jobs have been successfully prosecuted. In 2004, a senior U.S. Air Force procurement official was arrested in a textbook example of revolving door corruption, landing not only herself but also senior executives from contractor …

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China’s Crackdown on Military Corruption

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Introduction The practice of buying and selling military positions and ranks has a long history, even if today it is strictly forbidden in almost all armed forces. For example, from 1683 to 1871, most commissions in the British Army were paid for. This was not a matter of bribes and back-handers, but rather an officially-sanctioned …

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The Milicogate Scandal

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Introduction Chile has an unusual method for funding arms purchases: a 10% levy on export revenues from the state copper company, Corporación Nacional del Cobre (CODELCO). These funds go directly to the three branches of the armed forces to spend as they choose on arms purchases, without passing through the central Ministry of Defence, and …

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