(August 20, 1999) ‘Corruption has to be tackled head on,’ declared Diane Marleau, Canada’s minister for foreign aid this spring, two months after Canada adopted the OECD’s anti-corruption convention by making bribery of foreign public officials a criminal offence. But on the eve of the world’s first foreign aid-related corruption court case — one involving Canadian engineering giant Acres International — the government agencies concerned mostly appear to be abdicating responsibility.
International firms in SA bribery scandal
(August 17, 1999) Several international construction companies that have handled major contracts in Uganda and Kenya have been named in a 12 million rand ($2.5 million) corruption scandal in South Africa and Lesotho
Corruption must be fought in north and south
(August 17, 1999) Business Day’s exposure of bribery on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a pointer to the degree to which the practice of corruption is increasingly becoming the norm in substantial sectors of big business.
Stand by our agreement, argues Laos.
(August 16, 1999) Minister urges Thai empathy, friendship.
China vows to synchronize environmental protection with development
(August 16, 1999) SEPA deputy director Zhu Guangyao says the government views its most important environmental task as water pollution control, with a focus on drinking water security.
Power struggle
(August 16, 1999) Inside Beijing’s Zhongnanhai Compound, where China’s top leaders work, the Three Gorges power project is known as Canada’s Dam.
China: Yangtze River dam project gets funding from Guangdong
Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China news agency).
AECL wraps up five-year effort to assist Thai feasibility study
(August 12, 1999) Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) has completed a five-year joint project with the Thai government to help Thailand upgrade expertise and evaluate the feasibility of a nuclear energy program.
M12 million bribery scam on Sole
(August 9, 1999) Masupha Sole is facing charges of bribery amounting to a stunning M12 million received from some international companies which were involved in the construction of the M10 billion Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
International construction companies bribe top official
(August 9, 1999) International construction companies bribe top official in large dam project for South Africa. Scandal highlights urgency of implementing OECD Convention against international corruption.
Corruption heightens flood risk for millions of Chinese
The lives of millions of Chinese living near the swollen Yangtze River are being endangered by corrupt officials stealing cash intended to pay for dyke reinforcements and disaster relief.
Capital raised for dam project
The Yangtze Three Gorges Project Development Corporation, which is in charge of the project, has made an effort to find new channels. In the first six months of this year, it received 3.4 billion yuan (US$409 million) from corporate bonds, interbank loans and foreign loans.
Lesotho project firms ‘linked to scandals’
(August 5, 1999) Six of the dozen international companies implicated in the multimillion-rand Lesotho Highlands Water Project bribery case have been linked to other dam-building scandals.
Snags and sleaze hit Yangtze dam
China’s leaders have ordered urgent measures to bring the controversial Three Gorges Dam project under control following admissions that it is plagued by corruption, shoddy construction and fears of environmental damage.
Yangtze to get 2 dams, power plants
(August 5, 1999) China plans to build two big hydroelectric power stations on the upper reaches of Yangtze River beginning at the turn of the century. The China Yangtze Three Gorges Project Development Corp.(CTGPC) proposal to build two hydroelectric power plants has won approval of the State Development Planning Commission. The two projects would be located in Xiluodu and Xiangjiaba along the Jinshajiang River, with an installed power generating capacity expected to reach 12,000 megawatts and 6,000 megawatts. Building may begin as early as 2002.
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