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🧭 NAVIGATE THIS NEWSLETTER

1. New Investigation:
* Leaked audio raises questions about lithium mining deal in Zimbabwe

2. The OCCRP Network:
* Ukraine: New documentary about Russian army targeting children
* Czech Republic: Influence of US conservative groups
* UK: Salmonella-contaminated meat in grocery stores
* Austria: The rise of sports gambling
* OCCRP: Journalist nominated to GIJN board

3. Press Freedom News:
* France: Journalist detained for reporting on Egyptian military
* Russia: Pegasus found on journalist phone
* Philippines: Maria Ressa cleared of most charges

4. Follow the Money News:
* USA: Elizabeth Warren's crypto bill gains more support

5. Corruption News:
* South Africa: Should the gov't pay whistleblowers?
* Guatemala: Anti-graft official flees notorious AG
* China: Symptoms from Xi's anti-graft crusade in healthcare sector

6. Organized Crime News:
* Balkan Cocaine Wars: Two suspected hitmen nabbed
* Mexico: Navy seizes record amount of narcotics
* USA: FBI warns of minors being coerced into self-harm



** NEW INVESTIGATION
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🇿🇼 ‘Just Rock’: Moti Group Suspected Zimbabwe Concessions Held No Lithium Before Announcing $1B Battery Factory

[link removed]

South Africa’s Moti Group was granted mining concessions in neighboring Zimbabwe where geologists would search for lithium –– a key element in batteries that power electric vehicles.

Later on, the Moti Group announced plans to bring jobs to Zimbabwe by mining lithium and building a $1 billion battery factory in the country.
What are mining concessions? They are patches of public lands allocated by governments to companies for mineral extraction. Think of it as a type of license to look for minerals to mine.

But there appears to be a problem…

Leaked audio and documents obtained by OCCRP indicate that there are likely no meaningful lithium deposits in those concessions –– and Moti Group executives knew it.

While internally casting doubt on the value of their concessions, the Moti Group brought a major Chinese investor on to develop the lithium mining project.

The company’s founder, Zunaid Moti, dismissed the leaked files, telling OCCRP he “continues to believe” in the project.

🌐 The Big Picture: As the electric vehicle industry booms, companies and states around the world are racing to secure lithium, which is also used in batteries that provide storage for renewable energy. Elon Musk previously referred to the refining of lithium as a “license to print money.”

But OCCRP’s investigative reporting has shown that high demand for a product — whether its for minerals or coronavirus personal protective equipment — can be fertile ground for questionable business practices.

>> Read the full story ([link removed])
Join the fight against corruption.
SUPPORT OCCRP ([link removed])


** THE OCCRP NETWORK
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🇺🇦 Kyiv Independent: Our Ukrainian member center premiered "Bullet Holes,” an investigative documentary ([link removed]) into the killings of Ukrainian children by the Russian army.

🇨🇿 Investigace.cz: Our Czech member center reports on the influence of Alliance Defending Freedom ([link removed]) , a U.S.-based conservative advocacy group with ties to Donald Trump in Czechia.

🇬🇧 The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Our British partner reports on food companies that continue to supply supermarkets even after their salmonella-contaminated meat ([link removed]) has been linked to the deaths of four people.

🇦🇹 DOSSIER: Our Austrian member center reports on the rise of sports gambling in Vienna ([link removed]) , which recently placed restrictions on slot machines and other casino-related games.

🌎 The OCCRP Organization: OCCRP Senior Investigator Khadija Sharife was just elected to the Global Investigative Journalism Network board by GIJN's members. Khadija is a board member at-large and will play an active leadership role and provide strategic direction.


** ✍️ PRESS FREEDOM NEWS
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🇫🇷 France: France’s intelligence agency detained journalist Ariane Lavrilleux ([link removed]) and searched her home to gather information about sources she used in her Egypt Papers investigation. Her 2021 reporting ([link removed]) , which French authorities claim harmed national security, revealed France’s secret role in Egyptian air strikes that killed civilians.

🇷🇺 Russia: An iPhone belonging to the CEO of Meduza, an internationally-renowned Russian news organization that currently reports from exile in Latvia, was infected with Pegasus spyware ([link removed]) . Cybersecurity analysts say there are more than five governments that could have credibly targeted the journalist with the malware.

🇵🇭 Philippines: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, the founder of Rappler Media, was acquitted on tax evasion charges ([link removed]) after a five-year legal process. Press freedom advocates around the world have said the charges were politically motivated attacks by former president Rodrigo Duterte.


** 💸 FOLLOW THE MONEY NEWS
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🇺🇸 USA: Nine more members of congress announced support for Senator Elizabeth Warren’s regulatory legislation ([link removed]) on the cryptocurrency industry. The proposed law would impose stricter anti-money laundering and “Know Your Customer” regulations on crypto wallet providers and miners.


** CORRUPTION NEWS
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🇿🇦 South Africa: The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is considering paying whistleblowers ([link removed]) for legal assistance and other financial hardships that come with reporting corruption.

🇬🇹 Guatemala: The United States has granted asylum ([link removed]) to Juan Francisco Sandoval, the former head of Guatemala’s anti-corruption office. Guatemala’s Attorney General, who is targeting Sandoval, has also gone after the country’s new president with raids and legal threats.

🇨🇳 China: Bloomberg reports ([link removed]) that China’s sweeping anti-graft probe into the healthcare industry has led to physicians working fewer hours and delays in the procurement of needed medical products.


** ORGANIZED CRIME NEWS
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🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Police said they apprehendedtwo suspected hitmen from the Kavač ([link removed]) , a notorious Montenegrin mafia group.
* Not familiar with the Kavač vs. Škaljari rivalry? Our Balkan Cocaine Wars investigations ([link removed]) provide the first detailed account of the gang war that has left a trail of bodies throughout Europe.

🇲🇽 Mexico: In the past two weeks the Mexican Navy announced that its personnel have seized more than 45 tonnes of cocaine and methamphetamine ([link removed]) , which the agency says is a record amount for the department.

🇺🇸 USA: The FBI issued a warning about online groups that try to convince minors to self-harm ([link removed]) or post sexual content. These criminal groups appear to be mainly motivated by a desire for notoriety within online communities.


** EVENTS
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iMedD Forum: OCCRP, GIJN and our member centers IRL and Kloop will speak at this year's conference, which will be held in Athens.
* September 28 to 30. Register here. ([link removed])

P.S. Thank you for reading the OCCRP newsletter. Feel free to reply with any feedback.

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