Over the summer Palash Mamtaney’28 worked with Janvikas Society in Indore, India where he worked in the legal department to connect people to lawyers who worked Pro Bono. The corruption he witnessed made him ask a question, “if corruption is so evident at the local level, what happens at the international level?” He did research at International Institute of SDGs and Public Policy Research (IISPPR) to find the answer.
In his Beloit and Beyond presentation he went over different forms of global corruption and how they can happen, using examples from previous whistleblower cases. Bribery and kickbacks, embezzlement of public funds, tax evasion and avoidance, money laundering and illicit financial flows, exploitation of legal loopholes, offshore structures, and shell companies are the most common examples of corruption on a global level.
These are committed by the most powerful individuals in the world, from politicians to business leaders and larger corporations. The reasons for these, as Mamtaney explained, were weak enforcement of laws, offshore tax havens (like Switzerland), and citizenship-by-investment programs.
Using previous cases of scandals like the Panama, Paradise and Pandora Papers, he proved just how extensive this global corruption can get. All of these papers exposed millions of documents and terabytes of data leading to events like the resignation of Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, the then prime minister of Iceland, in 2016.
Mamtaney gave his recommendations to combat these corrupt individuals and companies. He recommends that countries create public, accessible registers to limit anonymous shell companies. In addition to this he also added that countries should revise tax treaties and secrecy laws to prioritize transparency and automatic information sharing, develop binding international oversight bodies (like the UN) to monitor compliance and give technical assistance for enforcement of anti-corruption laws, and boost resources for financial intelligence units.
When asked if he believes that international corruption can ever be solved, he said “I don’t think international corruption can ever be solved completely. It’s tied to human greed, power imbalances and weak institutions in various parts of the world. But it can definitely be reduced. What we need is stronger global frameworks, more transparency in financial systems, whistleblower protections and public awareness. It’s less about eliminating it entirely and more about creating a system where honesty is easier and corruption is harder to hide.”
He ended his presentation with a quote from Nelson Mandela. “Corruption is a cancer, a cancer that eats away at a citizen’s faith in democracy, diminishing the instinct for innovation and creativity. The battle against corruption is a battle for justice, dignity, and fairness for all.”
Featured image: Strategic Thinking Institute
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