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NEW INVESTIGATIONS
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🇰🇬 The Prosecution of our Kyrgyz Colleague — OCCRP has obtained case documents that suggest the prosecution of investigative journalist Bolot Temirov is politically motivated. Read the full story. ([link removed])
The Backstory: Temirov LIVE is one of Kyrgyzstan’s most distinguished investigative journalism outlets, and for the past six months, its founder has been targeted by law enforcement.
Authorities accuse Bolot Temirov of being an agent of foreign influence, and they have charged him with drug possession and using fraudulent documents.
The allegations came shortly after Temirov LIVE posted several video investigations into the business interests of the family of Kamchybek Tashiev, Kyrgyzstan’s security chief.
🌐 The Big Picture: Kyrgyzstan is considered Central Asia’s most democratic state. Unfortunately, the country has been sliding towards authoritarianism ever since a popular uprising overthrew the previous government, especially when it comes to press freedom.
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🇵🇪 A Quietly Successful Alleged Drug Money Launderer — Meet Carlos Sein Atachahua, a Peruvian who allegedly laundered millions for a drug trafficking organization that worked with Italy’s powerful ‘Ndrangheta crime group to move cocaine from South America into Europe. Based in Buenos Aires, Atachahua’s organization allegedly shipped cocaine in packages stamped with Peruvian suns, likely a reference to the Inca god Inti. Read the full story. ([link removed])
🌐 The Big Picture: While many in the drug industry like to flash their wealth around, this alleged drug money launderer kept a low profile. This investigation shows how Atachahua allegedly kept his operation going for decades without being busted.
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🇧🇷 Brazil’s Illegal Beef Goes Global: Land grabs and deforestation have scarred the Amazon rainforest in Brazil’s northern Pará state. Despite more than a decade of pledges to clean up their supply chains, slaughterhouses owned by the world’s largest meat companies are still buying from suppliers who source cattle from stolen land. Read the full story. ([link removed])
💡 Key Findings: Over 90,000 cattle from illegal farms in Brazil’s Pará state made their way into the national and international beef supply chain between 2018 and 2021.
Top meat companies Marfig and JBS purchased tens of thousands of animals from suppliers that sourced from illegal farms, while Europe’s largest meat processor, Danish Foods, appears to have bought beef that originated in a protected reserve.
🌐 The Big Picture: Experts say that 90 percent of deforestation in the Amazon is driven by cattle ranching, and Brazil’s northern Pará state is the worst affected in the entire country. This investigation reveals how laws are failing to protect the rainforest from the ravages of the global meat industry.
Join the fight against corruption.
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** RUSSIA AND UKRAINE
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🇺🇦 Slidstvo.Info: Our Ukrainian member center reports on evidence that Russian forces shelled a village and planted mines there during their occupation of pockets in the Kyiv region.
🇷🇺 IStories: “At first they said that about 20 percent would return. Then - that ‘almost no one will return.’”
Our Russian partner reports on prisoners being promised money and amnesty ([link removed]) to fight on the frontlines in Ukraine’s Donbas region.
None of these promises are recorded, instead information is communicated through prisoner guards, according to IStories’ reporting.
* Don't Forget: If you’re interested in learning more about how independent journalists report on Russia, join our upcoming webinar with IStories’ founder, Roman Anin. ([link removed])
🇬🇧 Sanctioning Kremlin Allies: The U.K.has sanctioned Mihajlo Perenčević ([link removed]) , a Croatian businessman with ties to the Russian government.
Perenčević was the focus of a 2020 OCCRP investigation ([link removed]) that revealed his links to the Troika Laundromat, a massive money laundering operation.
** MORE FROM THE OCCRP NETWORK
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🇸🇮 Oštro: Slovenia may be the loophole that Kremlin allies have been looking for. Our member center reports that the implementation of sanctions on Russian oligarchs are spread across a patchwork of agencies ([link removed]) , which may have prevented the seizure of yachts and other high-value assets.
🇷🇸 CINS: Our Serbian member center reports on a controversial government tender that paid a company a massive sum to launch an app for citizens to report environmental issues ([link removed]) . Four months later, the company received another 1 million euros for a simple system upgrade.
** ORGANIZED CRIME NEWS
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Israeli Crime Boss Sentenced: Yitzhak "Itzik" Abergil, the don of the so-called Abergil crime family, was sentenced for drug trafficking and murder. ([link removed]) Abergil’s syndicate is accused of a bombing in Tel Aviv that claimed the lives of three people.
Donkey Skin Bust: Nigeria’s Customs Service seized 2,820 donkey skins ([link removed]) , worth $116,000. The global trade in donkey skins has been driven by demand in China, where they are used as an ingredient in Ejiao, a traditional medicine.
** CORRUPTION NEWS
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Rappler Shuttered: The Philippine government has shut down Rappler ([link removed]) , an internationally renowned media outlet led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa.
This comes as one of the last acts of President Rodrigo Duterte, who is preparing to leave office.
Big Audit Firm Fined for Cheating: Ernst & Young admitted its auditors had cheated on exams for CPA licenses ([link removed]) , and agreed to settle the affair with U.S. authorities for $100 million.
** OCCRP EVENT
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OCCRP Screening: Our documentary, The Killing Of A Journalist, had its European premiere at the Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival this week. Watch a trailer here. ([link removed])
International Press Institute: OCCRP Ukraine Editor Anna Babinets will speak about open-source intelligence, data investigations, and new methods of news gathering on September 9, 11:30AM EDT.
Tickets here. ([link removed])
News Impact Summit: OCCRP Central Europe Editor Pavla Holcová will present our Russian Asset Tracker on October 6 in Prague. More info here. ([link removed])
** OCCRP IS HIRING
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Finance Director: The successful candidate will work with the Chief Operating Officer to develop medium and long-term financial forecasts, ensuring support for OCCRP’s strategic and operational objectives. Read the full job description. ([link removed])
P.S. Thank you for reading the OCCRP newsletter. Feel free to reply with any feedback.
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