On October 20, 2009, Reporters Without Borders (RWB), a Paris-based international non-governmental journalism organization that advocates freedom of the press, published Press Freedom Index 2009, its eighth annual world press freedom catalogue. According to the report, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden are ranked in the top five, while Burma, Iran, Turkmenistan, North Korea, and Eritrea are the bottom five countries.
Continue Reading... 
Emerson Yuntho is Deputy Coordinator of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW). Today he visited the offices of the National Whistleblowers Center (NWC) to share ideas about fighting corruption and protecting witnesses from retaliation. Pictured here are Lindsey Williams (NWC Advocacy Director), Abdulla Balbed (Indonesian interpreter), Emerson Yuntho, Richard Renner (NWC Legal Director),
[Malaysia] Tsin, Yip Ai, “Whistleblower Act wins TI-M approval,” Malaysiakini, October 26, 2009.
Anti-graft watchdog Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) has lauded the proposed Whistleblower Act, which will provide immunity to informants against civil or criminal action. "By putting in place the protection of whistleblowers, the government (will) promote integrity and freedom of speech, which are crucial conditions for democracy, the rule of law and sustainable development," said TI-M secretary-general Loi Kheng Min in a statement today. Click here to read more.
[UK] Chadwick, Edward, “Birmingham MP John Hemming gives refuge to Jersey whistleblower,” Birmingham Post.net, October 26, 2009.
A Birmingham MP has taken an on-the-run whistleblower into his home after he claimed asylum in the UK. John Hemming says Stuart Syvret will be arrested “over his dead body” after the former Jersey health minister holed up at his London flat. He is facing prison after leaking a police report into an aborted investigation surrounding the conduct of a male nurse on the island. Mr Syvret will ask the British Government for legal asylum and “protection from harassment” from the Jersey authorities. Click here to read more.
Previous post about Stuart Syvret in NWC blog
[Canada] “The Richard Colvin Case,” FAIR.
Richard Colvin was a senior diplomat posted in Afghanistan from April 2006 to October 2007. Starting in May 2006 he repeatedly raised concerns about the potential for torture of prisoners handed over byy the Canadian military to Afghan police. He raised these concerns to senior officials at Foreign Affairs and National Defence, copying 79 different people across government. Click here to read more.
Continue Reading...
[Canada] Perreaux, Les and Rhéal Séguin, “Montreal Mafia controls 80 percent of road contracts, whistleblower says,” The Globe and Mail, October 15, 2009.
The alleged plans for fixing bids among Montreal construction companies known as the “Fabulous Fourteen” were passed along by telephone, often using a code based on golf. Click here to read more.
[Azerbaijan] “Whistleblower released from psychiatric hospital,” International Freedom of Expression eXchange, October 14, 2009.
Mahammad Gurbanov, a 55-year-old resident of Nakhchivan City who was placed in a psychiatric hospital by police on 11 September 2009, was released on World Mental Health Day, on 10 October, after 29 days in detention. Click here to read more.
Continue Reading...
Whistleblowers Australia (WBA), an association of whistleblowers in Australia, will host 2009 National Conference and annual general meeting at Aquinas College of the University of Adelaide from December 5-6, 2009. The conference theme is “blowing the whistle in the workplace.” Shelley Pezy, conference convener, kindly sent us the conference program draft. You can download it by clicking here. According to the program, they will discuss about South Australian legislation, how to start a website, and specific goals for the Whistleblowers Australia. The conference also provides a social networking event for whistleblowers, government and private employees, and researchers.
If you are interested in joining the conference, please find more information from their website, Whistleblowers Australia.
Australia’s Whistleblower Information
In the United Kingdom, a former investigator of the Royal Military Police (RMP), speaking anonymously, alleges that Senior British army commanders in Iraq refused to investigate Iraqi civilian abuse claims. According to BBC News on October 11th, the whistleblower claims that while he has seen documentary evidence of hundreds of incidences, involving death and serious injury to Iraqis, investigators could not examine these cases because the whole system of military justice is flawed. The military chain of command made independent investigations of the RMP almost impossible by not providing resources or denying access.
Continue Reading...
[Australia] Thompson, Tuck, “Police whistleblower sent home, told to see psychiatrist, Couriermail.com.au, October 12, 2009.
A veteran officer who has exposed cronyism and corruption in the police force has been ordered off work even though his doctor says he is fit for duty. Sergeant Robbie Munn – who wants to resume his decorated 30-year career – says the service has a culture that deters whistleblowers from reporting "dirty little secrets". The police force claims Sgt Munn, who has fully recovered from heart surgery, requires psychiatric help and has ordered him off the job for 18 months. Click here to read more.
[UK] Bowen, Innes, “Whistleblower says Army abuse not investigated,” BBC News, October 11, 2009.
Three High Court judges ruled that RMP Deputy Provost Marshal Colonel Dudley Giles "lacked reliability" when he gave evidence to an inquiry into claims UK soldiers mistreated and murdered prisoners. A whistleblower has told the BBC he was not surprised when he heard the judges' comments. Click here to read more.
[UK] Curtis, Polly, Rachel Williams and Allegra Stratton, “Ofsted accused of manipulating Haringey report after Baby P,” Guardian.co.uk., October 9, 2009.
A leading MP demanded an inquiry after a whistleblower at Ofsted claimed an official report into Haringey council was secretly downgraded from “good” to “inadequate” because of the furore over the death of Baby Peter. Documents seen by the Guardian show Ofsted's initial 2008 report into Haringey children's services, then run by Sharon Shoesmith, gave it high ratings – three or four out of the maximum of four stars – in most categories. But in the key category it was later changed to one star – the worst, meaning its services were inadequate. Click here to read more.
Continue Reading...
The full Senate voted 68-30 to adopt an amendment proposed by Sen. Al Franken (D-MN). The Franken Amendment to the Defense Appropriation bill will prohibit contractors or subcontractors from requiring their employees to resolve Title VII and sexual assault tort claims by forced arbitration. If this amendment is included in the final appropriation, it would block most of America's largest employers from using one of the most common methods of squashing employee discrimination claims. It would also add momentum to the Arbitration Fairness Act (AFA), H.R. 1020 and S. 931. The AFA would protect the right to trial by jury for all employees in America. The Senate has posted the record on how Senators voted on S.Amdt. 2588 so you can see how your Senators voted.
As Richard Renner wrote in the previous post, Transparency International (TI) just released their “Global Corruption Report 2009: Corruption and the Private Sector (GCR).” In it, more than 75 experts examine a wide range of corruption issues around the world.
In this post, I would like to introduce several whistleblowing issues around the world based on the report.
The report emphasizes that “recognizing the role of whistleblowers” is one of key elements of good corporate governance, mentioning “employees are the single most important group of actors capable of detecting corporate fraud and as such they represent an extraordinarily important pillar in the system of checks and balances that comprise corporate governance.”
Continue Reading...
Add this blog to your feeds or put your e-mail in the box below and hit GO to subscribe by e-mail.
How can we help? Any information you provide is considered confidential and will not be shared outside of our organization. Requests for legal assistance are considered strictly confidential / attorney-client privileged.
Whistleblower Link Blog
.jpg)
The National Whistleblower Legal Defense & Education Fund ("Fund") provides legal referrals to whistleblowers in search of competent counsel. Click the link above to submit your confidential report.