Financial Transparency Coalition

Remember the scene in Office Space when Peter, Michael, and Samir accidentally steal $300,000? They realize they can’t give it back without admitting they stole it in the first place, so they think the only way out is to keep the cash and launder the funds. But three law abiding guys don’t really know how to launder money,, so they try looking up “money laundering” in the dictionary, hoping for a clue of how to do it. They don’t find an answer and give up on the idea. Bu then again, the dictionary doesn’t exactly give you a step by...

Task Force coordinating committee member Global Witness released Grave Secrecy today, a report telling the story of companies which were used to launder the proceeds of corruption, tax evasion and other crimes. The report shows how shell companies based the UK, Bulgaria, and New Zealand were used to launder corrupt money originating from Kyrgyzstan's AsiaUniversialBank.

Check out the new press release from the Task Force regarding the global push for legislation to require financial transparency in all companies. The release outlines a letter from over a thousand organizations calling on the EU Commission to require beneficial ownership be disclosed or all EU companies, as well as a similar letter that was sent to U.S. legislators by a different group of organizations.

In my short time here with the Task Force, I've learned that shell corporations show up around every corner when trying to fix problems in the developed and developing world alike. This was proven true again last night, when I attended an event sponsored by Task Force member Global Witness. The event was to present their new report, Dealing With Disclosure: Improving Transparency in Decision-Making Over Large-Sale Land Acquisitions, Allocations, and Investments.