COVID-19 and Corruption: Articles, Blogs, and Online Resources

Coronavirus

Compiled by the staff of the Anti-Corruption & Governance Center, this list of publications and resources may be of use to the global anti-corruption community. The most recent entries are placed near the top. We welcome your suggestions for additional articles, reports, and resources on this issue. Note: last updated on June 16, 2020; some headlines have been slightly modified for this page.

Trackers & Indexes
The Capacity to Combat Corruption (CCC) Index
Global Dashboard: COVID-19 Government Policies
IMF: National Policy Responses to Coronavirus
Transparency International: Getting Ahead of the Curve 
The IMF and COVID-19
COVID-19 Africa Watch
IMF Special Series on COVID-19
Collecting Open Government Approaches to COVID-19
Country by Country                                                                                                                                        Date
TI Bangladesh Finds Gross Corruption in COVID-19 Purchases 6/16
Nepalese Students Protest Corruption, Government Handling of Pandemic 6/15
Iraq: Urgent Need For Free Speech Protection During COVID-19 6/15
COVID-19 and Corruption in the Philippines 6/13
Pakistan PM’s Relationship with Army On the Rocks Amid COVID-19 Pandemic 6/13
Commonwealth Official Predicts Corruption Spike Amid COVID-19 in Jamaica 6/10
2 Brazil Governors Under Fire in Probes of COVID Spending 6/10
Corruption, Negligence and Harassment in Brazil 6/10
Indonesia’s KPK Slammed for Discussing Raise for Leaders Amid COVID-19 6/10
Alleged Fuel Thefts Undermine World Bank’s COVID-19 Support to Liberia 6/10
Papua New Guinea: Ex-PM O’Neill Charged with Corruption 6/10
Nepalese PM Urges Opponents Not to Suspect Corruption in COVID-19 Response 6/10
How COVID-19 Gave Cover for a Subtle Power Grab in Malaysia 6/9
Restructuring in Bangladesh Health Sector Amid Allegations of Corruption 6/9
Pandemic Limits Philippines’ Anti-Corruption Work 6/8
FIR Over Corruption, Money Laundering Against Medanta Chief Trehan in India 6/7
COVID-19 Fears Lower Corruption Cases in India as Officials Refuse Cash 6/7
Brazil Exponges Virus Death Toll As Data Befuddles Experts 6/7
Nine IAS Officers Relieved from Duty in India Amid Corruption Allegation 6/6
Bangladesh Public Health System Held Back By Corruption 6/6
Tense Anti-Government Protests Resume in Lebanon After Lockdown Lifted 6/6
In Nigeria, COVID-19 Shows Need for Criminal Justice Complaint Channels 6/5
Indonesian Watchdog Calls for More Transparency in Pre-Employment Program 6/5
Ex-Ecuador President Detained in COVID-19 Corruption Raid 6/3
Canada: Fraud, Corruption and Money Laundering in a Pandemic 6/1
Bong Go: Report Corruption Amid COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines 5/31
Thailand MPs Back $60 Billion Stimulus to Counter Economic Slowdown 5/31
South African COVID-19 Anti-Corruption Unit: It Hasn’t Been Set Up 5/31
Bosnians Protest as Officials Accused of COVID-19 Graft 5/30
Why an Indian Health Official Quit After Alleged PPE Purchase Corruption 5/29
South Africa: Anti-Corruption Plan Linked to COVID Relief Efforts for Poor 5/28
Zimbabwe Needs Open Procurement & Transparency of Company Ownership 5/28
Why Even Peru’s Top-Notch Plans Failed to Stop the Coronavirus Pandemic 5/28
India Cannot Expect to Beat COVID-19 Without Tackling Hate and Corruption 5/26
Brazil Police Raid Rio Governor’s Residences Amid COVID-19 Probe 5/26
Opinion & Position Pieces                                                                                                                              Date
Are Special Interests Undermining the Quest for a COVID-19 Vaccine? 6/15
Holy See: Pandemic Highlights Need for New Solutions to Counter Corruption 6/15
Handling Integrity Risks Post COVID-19 6/15
Tie COVID-19 Debt Relief to Transparency 6/11
Money Laundering Could Stiffle Latin America’s Response to COVID-19 6/11
Anti-Corruption Response to COVID-19 Must Include Women 6/10
Corruption and Graft Afflict Latin America’s Pandemic Response 6/9
Promoting Accountability and Transparency During COVID-19 6/9
FCPA Risks in Latin America During the COVID-19 Pandemic 6/9
The Impact of COVID-19 on Anti-Corruption, Governance and Development 6/9
Defending Land and Water From Mining Profiteers in the Time of COVID-19 6/2
Coronavirus: Latin America’s Corruption Fighters Gain New Ground 6/2
Business & Social Impacts of COVID-19: Interview with the UN’s Lise Kingo 6/1
Compliance Tips for Development Bank COVID-19 Projects 6/1
Fiscal Policy for COVID-19 and Beyond 5/29
We Need a Plan for a Less Corrupt & More Equitable World Post-COVID-19 5/29
Global Emergency Funds Must Not Be Pocketed for Corruption 5/28
Companies Must Prioritize Anti-Bribery Compliance During the Pandemic 5/28
The COVID-19 Accountability Emergency 5/28
TI: Money Launderers, Corruption See Coronavirus Advantage 5/28
Spread of Coronavirus Fuels Corruption in Latin America 5/27
Donors Must Match Speed With Transparency in Coronavirus Funding 5/26
Democracy & Governance                                                                                                                           Date
Morocco Is a COVID-19 Success Story. But at What Cost? 6/15
Democracy Versus the Pandemic 6/13
Press Freedom Looks Like Casualty of Liberia’s Response to COVID-19 6/12
COVID-19 May Strengthen Latin America’s Democracies, Not Destroy Them 6/10
‘Criminal Charity’ During COVID-19 Will Have Decades-Long Consequences 6/9
When the Second COVID-19 Wave Hits 6/9
EUROPOL Launches New Unit to Address Crime Related to COVID-19 6/8
COVID-19 and Democracy in Africa: Interview with Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh 6/6
China’s COVID-19 Countermeasures Include Restricting Press Freedom 6/3
Data vs. the Disease? COVID-19 and Surveillance Technologies 6/2
Will the Legacy of COVID-19 Include Increased Authoritarianism? 5/29
ISIS is Using Coronavirus to Rebuild Its Terrorism Network in Iraq and Syria 5/28
Contested Stabilization: Competing in Post-Conflict Spaces 5/26