Ethiopia reshuffle reinforces law enforcement pivot

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Attorney General ◽  
Institutional Reforms ◽  
Content Type

Significance This included the departure of embattled Defence Minister Lemma Megersa and appointment of former Attorney General Adenech Abiebie as the new deputy mayor of the capital, Addis Ababa, with her former deputy Dr Gedion Timothewos taking over as attorney general. Impacts Kenea Yadeta’s appointment as defence minister may signal resolve to pursue a securitised approach to unrest, especially in Oromia. The changes in the attorney general’s office could presage a de-prioritisation of broader legal and institutional reforms. Abiy’s attempt to launch a ‘national dialogue’ (of sorts) may falter if he is unwilling to offer real concessions.

US opioid curb will see health law spats

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Attorney General ◽  
Health Law ◽  
Drug Problem ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Operating Capacity

Significance This followed Attorney General Jeff Sessions on February 27 announcing the Prescription Interdiction and Litigation task force, the latest government move to push back against opioids. Sessions said that the Department of Justice would pursue under the law those who unnecessarily or excessively prescribe opioids, including manufacturers and distributors, and support local governments’ lawsuits against these people. Impacts Drug lobbyists will fight anti-opioid lawsuits. Medical practitioners and drug distributors will face more intense scrutiny of their prescription decisions. Solving the drug problem could aid security and the economy, including productivity. States have disparate finance and operating capacity to tackle opioids; results will not be uniform. Cracking down on drugs would also need US law enforcement capacity enhancements, but funding here too is not necessarily sufficient.

Systematic Government Access to Private-Sector Data in Israel

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omer Tene
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
National Security ◽  
Attorney General ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Competing Interests ◽  
Government Power ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights ◽  
Constitutional Right ◽  
The One ◽  
Sector Data

Israel is a democracy committed to the protection of human rights while at the same time trying to contain uniquely difficult national security concerns. One area where this tension is manifest is government access to communications data. On the one hand, subscriber privacy is a constitutional right protected by legislation and Supreme Court jurisprudence; on the other hand, communications data are a powerful tool in the hands of national security and law enforcement agencies. This chapter examines Israel’s attempt to balance these competing interests by empowering national security agencies while at the same time creating mechanisms of accountability. In particular, Israel utilizes the special independent status of the attorney general as a check on government power.

Money laundering through raw diamonds

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Maximilian Johannes Teichmann ◽  
Marie-Christin Falker
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Money Laundering ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Compliance Officers ◽  
German Speaking ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Combat Money Laundering

Purpose This paper aims to illustrate how illegally obtained funds are laundered through raw diamonds in Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Design/methodology/approach To identify specific money laundering techniques involving raw diamonds, this study used a qualitative content analysis of data collected from 60 semi-standardized interviews with both criminals and prevention experts and a quantitative survey of 200 compliance officers. Findings Raw diamonds are extraordinarily suitable for money laundering in European German-speaking countries. In particular, they may be used in all three stages of the laundering process, namely, placement, layering and integration. Research limitations/implications Because the qualitative findings are based on semi-standardized interviews, their insights are limited to the perspectives of the 60 interviewees. Practical implications Identifying gaps in existing anti-money laundering mechanisms should provide compliance officers, law enforcement agencies and legislators with valuable insights into how criminals operate. Originality/value While prior studies focus on the methods used by organizations to combat money laundering and how to improve anti-money laundering measures, this paper investigates how money launderers operate to avoid detection, thereby illustrating authentic experiences. Its findings provide valuable insights into the minds of money launderers and combines criminal perspective with that of prevention experts.

Organized crime in Brazil

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Henry Millard ◽  
Tim Hundleby
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Organized Crime ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Developmental Context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at the origins and development of organized crime in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – The authors draw on their experience working in law enforcement for many years in Brazil. Findings – The paper outlines the major crimes committed by organized crime in Brazil and the structure of the main organization carrying them out. Research limitations/implications – The research concentrates on São Paolo and further research needs to be done. Originality/value – This is the first attempt to put the development of organized crime in Brazil into a historical and developmental context.

FATCA violation underlies latest US tax and securities fraud charges

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-76
Author(s):  
Miriam Fisher ◽  
Brian McManus
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Tax Compliance ◽  
Financial Fraud ◽  
Securities Fraud ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – To explain the details and implications of a September 9, 2014 federal indictment, US v. Robert Bandfield, the first time a Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) violation has been charged as an “overt act” in furtherance of a tax conspiracy and securities fraud. Design/methodology/approach – Provides background, including the enactment of FATCA and the details of the indictment; describes an undercover investigation conducted by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force; and discusses the warnings this indictment sends to the global financial community. Findings – The indictment confirms the coordinated and aggressive tactics US law enforcement is now employing to investigate and prosecute offshore financial fraud. Practical implications – Banks and financial service providers need to be aware of the impact of enhanced US regulatory obligations and implement appropriate compliance measures. These institutions must also remain sensitive to risks presented by unscrupulous customers. Finally, they must be ready to manage appropriately information-gathering and investigatory inquiries originating with US authorities. Originality/value – Practical guidance from experienced tax controversy lawyers.

Construction time prediction model for public building projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shambel Kifle Alemu
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Time Cost ◽  
Construction Time ◽  
Time Model ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Public Building ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe aim of the study was to develop a practical construction time model for public building projects in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Design/methodology/approachThis research work used regression analysis and also exploratory scatter and residual plot techniques. Simple and multiple regressions were used for the investigation of the best fit time model. The analyses were carried out using IBM SPSS statistical software, version 20.FindingsThe result revealed that the Bromilow time-cost principle was moderately applicable. However, the cubic regression model (CUB) was found a better time-cost relationship. On the contrary, the study has shown a poor relationship between actual time and gross floor area. Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis (MLR) consists of three statistically significant variables were found a better fit time model.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to only six project scope factors. Further research is recommended to include more building projects of similar type and implications of other factors to improve the reliability of the models.Practical implicationsThe developed model was not intended as a replacement for detailed construction scheduling techniques. The resulting model is applicable for front-end predictions of construction duration.Originality/valueThe main parties involved in the building projects should apply the model for benchmarking a precise construction time during the early planning phase.

Assessing law enforcement websites: a comparative analysis exploring types, quantity and quality of information available

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Hansen ◽  
John C. Navarro ◽  
Sierra A. Malvitz
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Quality Of Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Law Enforcement ◽  
Local Law

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the availability of information on law enforcement websites in the state of Wisconsin.Design/methodology/approachThe study conducted a content analysis of all 179 county and municipal local law enforcement agency websites within Wisconsin. The authors then implemented a comparative analysis that explored whether the quantity and quality of information available on law enforcement websites are similar to those of local governments and school districts. The authors then estimated models to test whether there is a relationship between the population size served and gender distribution of law enforcement departments to the availability of information on law enforcement websites.FindingsLaw enforcement websites contain a noticeable lack of information. The finding is even more apparent when comparing law enforcement websites to the websites of local governments and school districts. Finally, the authors show a positive link between information sharing on law enforcement websites and the proportion of the civilian staff at an agency that are women.Originality/valuePast studies that reviewed the make-up of law enforcement websites analyzed large law enforcement departments rather than local law enforcement departments, which notably represent the majority of most law enforcement departments. The authors also explicitly demonstrate that the commitment to information sharing is lagging within law enforcement websites compared to local-level governments. Future scholarship and law enforcement departments may benefit from exploring the employment of female civilians.

Terrorism, organised crime and threat mitigation in a globalised world

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 951-961
Author(s):  
Yara El Siwi
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Global Networks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Subsequent Section ◽  
Threat Mitigation ◽  
Organised Crime Groups ◽  
The Cold War ◽  
Substantial Interest

Purpose The gruesome attacks of 11 September 2001 signalled a powerful paradigm shift in international politics: governments previously accustomed to military menaces were now being increasingly threatened by independent, non-state actors. Consequently, a plethora of literature emerged, looking to better understand the nature of these actors. An aspect that has attracted substantial interest is the inter-relation between terrorism and organised crime (OC). This paper aims to answer the question as to whether, for the purpose of controlling and mitigating the threat they pose to society, there is meaning in differentiating between terrorist organisations (TOs) and organised crime groups (OCGs). Design/methodology/approach The first section of the paper will provide an account of the various kinds of threats posed by OCGs and TOs. The subsequent section will question whether it is possible, in today’s globalised era, to distinguish between these two actors, while the last sections will ask if such a differentiation is desirable. Findings OCGs and TOs display a clear divergence: the former’s motivation is financial while the latter’s political. With the end of the Cold War, however, each type of organisation has been building up the capabilities of the other, helped by the force of global networks. As such, these two actors now exist within the same body – a continuum – that renders their separation difficult. As to the question of desirability, the separation of the two phenomena has often led to the adoption of highly disproportionate militarised and securitised measures, resulting in a dangerous blending of law enforcement and security service methodology. Originality/value Many have argued for the separation of the “terrorist” from the “criminal”, on the grounds that the former is particularly heinous and deserving of more severe measures. Others have studied the evolution of these two phenomena to understand whether the lines separating them have been blurring and the extent to which this affects law-enforcement. This paper goes beyond notions of feasibility and poses the following question: has the traditional separation of these phenomena led to a desirable regime?

Perceptions and pathways of resilience in Addis Ababa

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-352
Author(s):  
Nicole Baron ◽  
Zegeye Cherenet
Keyword(s):  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Change Resistance ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Expert Interviews ◽  
Urban Resilience ◽  
Initial Attempt ◽  
Content Type ◽  
African Perspective ◽  
New Research

Purpose Resilience has recently attracted widespread interest in the field of urban planning and theory. However, the research that has been conducted on urban resilience in Africa has major theoretical and methodological gaps. This can lead to problems when designing and implementing resilience strategies there. Understanding African perspectives can be a way of tackling these. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Using the example of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this paper analyses expert interviews based on a grounded theory approach. The goal is to explore locally specific perceptions of and pathways to urban resilience. By comparing these findings to those reported in the existing literature, differences and overlaps are identified. Findings This study provides evidence for the existence of locally specific perceptions of and pathways to urban resilience. Furthermore, it identifies urban development pathways such as complete urban makeover (tabula rasa) and complete negation of change (resistance). Research limitations/implications Because this study uses Addis Ababa as a singular case and expert interviews as method, it rather represents an initial attempt at exploring a new research field than claiming generalisability. Its quality and significance lie in its discursive approach and theory formation. Practical implications This exemplary study from Ethiopia demonstrates that a regionally specific understanding of urban resilience is valuable for the design and implementation of urban resilience strategies. Originality/value This study offers unique insights into urban resilience from an African perspective and into the manifestation of urban resilience in Addis Ababa.

Property rights and investment: the mediating effect of contract enforcement

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-34
Author(s):  
Ziade Hailu ◽  
Isaac N. Nkote ◽  
John C. Munene
Keyword(s):  
Property Rights ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Contract Enforcement ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically test whether enforceability mediates the relationship between property rights and investment in housing, using data from land formalization project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach The study was cross-sectional in design; data were collected from a sample of 210 households that benefited from the recent Addis Ababa city land and buildings formalization project. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the goodness-of-fit of the latent structures underlying the constructs. Mediation was tested using the Baron and Kenny steps, combined with bootstrapping technique. Robustness of results was checked. Findings The results indicate statistically significant mediation effect of contract enforcement. However, the mediation is partial, there is still a substantial direct effect of security of property rights on investment. Practical implications Any initiative to land formalization projects needs to consider contract enforcement environment, as presence and size of property rights effects largely depend on whether those rights are properly enforced. Originality/value This is the first study that conceptualizes the mediating effect of contract enforcement on the relationship between property rights and investment from an African country perspective.

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