TIME TO TACKLE SLEAZE AND CORRUPTION

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday August 06, 2002 22:50 by CELT EIRE

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

The Ansbacher scandal in Ireland and other similar issues which have surfaced in recent years in other Celtic countries make the threat of sleaze and corruption more apparent. Until the recent corporate scandals which seem to permeate all levels of commerce it appears to have been the policy of governments to look the other way and the decision announced by US president George Bush to crack down on 'corporate crooks' has only come about after disastrous business failures.

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

TIME TO TACKLE SLEAZE AND CORRUPTION

Expose fraud - label tax avoidance, which funnels National income
offshore, for what it is - corrupt

The comparative success and strength of the economies in some of the
Celtic countries has created an undesirable spin of of sleaze and
corruption, the Celtic League AGM was told this weekend.

The Ansbacher scandal in Ireland and other similar issues which have
surfaced in recent years in other Celtic countries make the threat
of sleaze and corruption more apparent. Until the recent corporate
scandals which seem to permeate all levels of commerce it appears
to have been the policy of governments to look the other way and the
decision announced by US president George Bush to crack down on 'corporate
crooks' has only come about after disastrous business failures.

Last year the Celtic League published a major document highlighting
the likely costs to Society in the Celtic countries of corruption.

(See Celtic News No 553 COMBATING CORRUPTION 11/3/2001)

We followed this up with comment on a report by the World Bank which
highlighted that: "Corruption is 'enormous and varied affecting all
societies rich and poor'. Corruption is generally believed to be endemic
in States which have poor regulatory standards in public life. However,
it also tends to be associated with boom economies. (The Irish and
Manx governments should take note).

(See Celtic News 542 CORRUPTION ITS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK! 10/23/2001)

After discussion of the issue by the AGM it was agreed there was a
need to develop a strategy similar to that which we adopted in the
late seventies over another issue. The Celtic League is prepared to
devote resources and effort to scrutinise and if necessary expose
both political corruption and also commercial wrongdoing. A resolution
to that end was approved by the meeting text below:

"This AGM: Endorses a campaign by the Celtic League to monitor and
expose political and commercial corruption in the Celtic countries."

Footnote: Interestingly, just hours after the Celtic League AGM concluded
its business questions were posed in the Dail (Irish parliament) about
the large sums held offshore (in the Isle of Man and Channel Isles)
by Irish banks and financial institutions.

Labour Party Finance Spokesman, Brendan Howlin, apparently wants the
issue of the potential tax owed on the deposits to be looked into.
Surely however it is past time for scrutinising practices which have
gone on for over two decades.

Tax avoidance, which deprives any of the Celtic countries of National
income, should be labelled for what it is - corrupt!

The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It focuses
on human rights abuse and civil liberty issues and also monitors the
impact of military activity.

Internet site at

http://www.manxman.co.im/cleague/