Crackdown on corruption, Cameron: “England in the front row”
A crackdown on money laundering, because “corruption is a cancer”. The British premier David Cameron did not use half terms by opening the international anti-corruption summit in London, which brings together delegates from over 40 countries, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, Italian Justice Minister Andrea Orlando, the president of the Anac Raffaele Cantone and the director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde.
“The real progress in the fight against corruption begins with the political will” said the premier, promising that the Gran is ready to take the first step, starting right from London whose reputation as the global recycling capital will be put to the test with the new government regulations: the companies – in Cameron’s plans – will be responsible for the actions of their managers if they are unable to prevent fraud or money laundering within them.
The prime minister’s plan also calls for foreign companies to publicly disclose their assets in the UK’s lucrative real estate market with the introduction of a new register to make the sector more transparent. According to Downing Street, there will be both current owners and those who intend to buy new real estate assets. It is estimated that foreign companies control about 100 thousand properties in England and Wales and that over 44 thousand are in London.
The London summit will also see the participation of “the leaders of numerous extraordinarily corrupt countries”, the British prime minister has not declared diplomatically on the eve without knowing to be heard by microphones: in fact, among the participants are the president of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani and his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari. “Perhaps the two most corrupt countries in the world,” Cameron told Queen Elizabeth during a reception at Buckingham Palace. According to the latest ranking on corruption in the world of Transparency International, Afghanistan occupies the 166th position (out of 168 countries), while Nigeria ranks 136th.
“I don’t want anybody’s excuses. I want Britain to return our assets,” said the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, according to which London must put itself in the place of “a woman who has to leave Britain and leave her bank account and its assets. These are the things I ask of Great Britain. What excuses do I have? I want something tangible. ” Buhari admits that “in a few cases there are people who threaten national security, but Britain must facilitate the repatriation of our stolen assets”.
For the moment, Cameron does not reply and, on the contrary, limits himself to promising the creation of a committee that includes France, Nigeria and the Netherlands in the management of public registers. An agreement that should then extend to offshore territories.