Greetings from Sarajevo,

We found more secret Credit Suisse accounts — one worth half a billion dollars — tied to a politically connected client. Meanwhile, our Russian and Ukrainian colleagues continue to report on how the war is affecting civilians. 

If you’re in the Washington, D.C., area, don’t forget that OCCRP will be screening our new documentary, The Killing of a Journalist, at the Double Exposure film festival on October 14. 

The film details how the murder of our colleague Ján Kuciak exposed deep-rooted corruption in Slovakia and ultimately catalyzed the ouster of the ruling party.

You can buy tickets in person or get an online pass here. Use promocode OCCRP10 to save 10%. 

NEW INVESTIGATIONS

🇨🇭The Swiss Bank Accounts of a Gaddafi-Linked Lobbyist 🇱🇾 The Suisse Secrets leak shows that Libyan oil tycoon Hassan Tatanaki, who once funded lobbying efforts in the United States to promote dictator Muammar Gaddafi, was a Credit Suisse client for years.

He was able to maintain multiple accounts despite accusations of involvement in corruption scandals in multiple countries. Read the full story.

🌐 The Big Picture: The Suisse Secrets project has revealed dozens of high-risk, politically connected Credit Suisse clients — including several, like Tatanaki, with ties to the Gaddafi regime. You can read more about other prominent Libyans we found in the leak. 
 

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🇻🇳 The Rise of a Vietnamese Wildlife Trafficker — The anti-wildlife trafficking group Wildlife Justice Commission cataloged the brazen criminal activity of Nguyen Van Nam, also known as “Ah Nam,” a kingpin in Vietnam’s illegal wildlife trade. Over three years, he sold ivory from at least 1,760 slaughtered elephants and 100 rhinos — and probably many more. Read the full story.

🌐 The Big Picture: Vietnam is a key hub in the multi-billion-dollar global trade in wildlife parts, which is largely driven by demand from China and is leading to the extinction of animals like elephants and rhinos. 

THE OCCRP NETWORK

🇰🇬 Temirov LIVE: The founder of the Kyrgyz media outlet, an OCCRP partner, has been acquitted on charges of drug possession, illegally obtaining a passport, and illegally crossing the border. OCCRP investigations showed the allegations were likely politically motivated.

Kyrgyz authorities have targeted the news outlet ever since it published a video on the business dealings of the family of the head of the national security agency.

🇷🇺 IStories: Our Russian member center reports on the brutal conditions conscripts have faced since being deployed to Ukraine.

🇷🇴 Context.Ro: Our Romanian member center reports on signs of fraud in the development of a high-power laser, which received millions of euros in public funding. 

🇨🇿 Investigace.cz: Our Czech member center compares social media spending by presidential candidates ahead of this year’s elections. 

🇺🇦 Slidstvo.Info: Our Ukrainian member center interviewed a woman who said she was detained and abused by Russian soldiers. 

🇭🇺 Atlatszo: Our Hungarian member center reports on the potential sale of a state-owned power plant for an undisclosed amount. Reporters have filed a lawsuit to find out the sale price. 

MORE IN CORRUPTION NEWS

A ‘Brazenly Corrupt’ Bosnian Prosecutor — The U.S. government sanctioned Diana Kajmaković, a prosecutor in Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling her “brazenly corrupt” and saying she had “links to criminal organizations.” The Treasury Department said encrypted conversations between members of organized crime groups had referenced Kajmaković.

Australia’s New Watchdog — Australia has proposed an independent corruption watchdog, which the country’s ruling party promised to establish before coming to power in May. 

EU Punishes Hungary — The European Union is considering suspending roughly 7.5 billion euros in funding for Hungary over corruption allegations.

MORE IN ORGANIZED CRIME NEWS

Tracking Wildlife Trafficking — The non-profit Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime launched a new tool to fight wildlife trafficking. It catalogues terms and techniques used by criminals to identify trafficking in online spaces.

New AML Bill — The U.K. introduced an anti-money laundering bill that will require people to verify their identity when registering a company in the country.

Balkan Cocaine Wars Update — Turkish police said they detained the suspected killer of the leader of the Škaljari, a Montenegrin criminal organization locked in a bloody gang war with the rival Kavač clan. Read more about that conflict here.