From India to South Korea, crypto exchanges under regulatory lens

Seoul, (IANS): The financial regulator here said on Tuesday it will soon launch an inspection of virtual asset exchanges to check for any illegal or unfair transactions, as India cracks down on crypto platforms.

The planned inspection will be the first of its kind since the country introduced tougher rules against illegal trading of virtual assets in July under the new Virtual Asset Users Protection Act, which enabled maximum punishment of life imprisonment for those who gain more than 5 billion won ($3.7 million) through illegal transactions.

The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said it will inspect two South Korean won-based cryptocurrency exchanges, considering what it called "unusual cases" detected in earlier reviews, reports Yonhap news agency.

There are said to be a total of four Korean won-based exchanges in the country.

In addition, three more cryptocurrency exchanges and one cryptocurrency wallet provider will come under the planned inspection, as well as any other exchanges when and if any problems or complaints are filed against them, the FSS added.

The inspection will check for any illegal or suspicious transactions, but will also seek to make sure the exchanges and related businesses are complying with regulations that include protection of virtual assets and keeping records of virtual asset transactions, according to the financial regulator.

"The FSS will establish market order through stern punishment against illegal activities that may be identified in the process of its inspection, and will push for the revision of regulations if necessary by identifying the areas in the system where improvements are needed," it said.

In India, the government country has put robust anti-money laundering rules and a tax structure for cryptocurrencies in place, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been busting fake cryptocurrency rackets across the country.In 2022, the Indian government introduced a 30 per cent tax on virtual currencies and a 1 per cent deduction for every crypto transaction. From India to South Korea, crypto exchanges under regulatory lens | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → September 19, 2024

Telegram CEO Durov released on bail, but formally put under investigation

Paris, (IANS): Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the encrypted messaging service Telegram, was released after paying a five-million-euro (about $5.6 million) bail, but he is required to report to the police twice a week, Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said.

Durov is officially placed under investigation on six charges and he was prohibited from leaving France during the investigation, Beccuau added on Wednesday night as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Durov was arrested by French Police at an airport outside Paris on Saturday night.

Beccuau said on Monday that the Telegram founder is accused of 12 criminal offences, including failing to act against Telegram users involved in cyberbullying, sharing pedophilic content and glorifying terrorism.

He added the arrest "comes in the context of a judicial investigation opened on July 8, 2024".

It also concerns "refusal to communicate, at the request of competent authorities, information or documents necessary for carrying out and operating interceptions allowed by law," the Paris prosecutor said.

In response to the arrest, the Telegram group said on its X account that the company "abides by European Union (EU) laws, including the Digital Services Act".

"It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform," it added.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the arrest of Durov is "in no way a political decision".

Durov's arrest in France "took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation," Macron said on social media platform X.

After the arrest, Russia's embassy in Paris has referred a note to the French Foreign Ministry demanding consular access to Durov, the TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, owner of the US social media platform X, and Edward Snowden, former US National Security Agency contractor, condemned Durov's arrest on Sunday. Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/telegram-ceo-durov-released-on-bail-but-formally-put-under-investigation

Read More........ → August 30, 2024

N Korea stole $300m in crypto to fund nukes: UN report

A confidential UN report claimed that North Korea has stolen more than $300 million worth of cryptocurrencies through cyberattacks in recent months to support its banned nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. -Reports AFP

Compiled by a panel of experts monitoring sanctions on Pyongyang, the report said the country’s “total theft of virtual assets from 2019 to November 2020 is valued at approximately $316.4 million”, citing a UN member state. 

Financial institutions and exchanges were hacked to generate revenue for Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development, said the report, which was seen by AFP. 

The vast majority of the proceeds came from two thefts late last year. 

The North is known to operate an army of thousands of well-trained hackers who have attacked firms, institutions and researchers in South Korea and elsewhere. 

It has also been accused of exploiting its cyber capabilities for financial gain. 

The North is under multiple sets of international sanctions over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, which have made rapid progress under leader Kim Jong Un. 

A summit between Kim and then-US President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February 2019 broke down over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return. 

Nuclear talks have been stalled ever since, while the North showed off several new missiles at military parades in October and last month when Kim pledged to strengthen his nuclear arsenal.

The UN panel said it was investigating a September 2020 hack against a cryptocurrency exchange that resulted in $281 million worth of cryptocurrencies being stolen. 

A second cyberattack siphoned off $23 million a month later.

“Preliminary analysis, based on the attack vectors and subsequent efforts to launder the illicit proceeds strongly suggests links to the DPRK,” the report said, using the initials for the North’s official name.

Pyongyang’s cyberwarfare abilities first came to global prominence in 2014 when it was accused of hacking into Sony Pictures Entertainment as revenge for “The Interview”, a satirical film that mocked leader Kim.

The attack resulted in the posting of several unreleased movies as well as a vast trove of confidential documents online.

The North is also blamed for a huge, $81 million cyber-heist from the Bangladesh Central Bank, as well as the theft of $60 million from Taiwan’s Far Eastern International Bank.

The North’s hackers have allegedly stepped up campaigns to raise funds by attacking cryptocurrency exchanges as the value of bitcoin and other cybercurrencies soared.

They were blamed for the 2017 WannaCry global ransomware cyberattack, which infected some 300,000 computers in 150 nations encrypting user files and demanding hundreds of dollars from their owners for the keys to get them back.Pyongyang has denied the accusations, saying it has “nothing to do with cyber-attacks”. - AFP Source:https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

Read More........ → February 10, 2021

Mexico`s ex-governor shot dead in restaurant’s toilet

Aristoteles Sandoval, the former governor of Mexico’s troubled western state of Jalisco was shot dead in a restaurant bathroom in the popular beach resort of Puerto Vallarta on Friday.

State attorney general Gerardo Octavio Solis said that Sandoval was dining with four others when at around 1:40 am he got up from the table and went to the toilet, where the killer shot him in the back. 

Although only one gunman fired at Sandoval, he may have been accompanied by as many as nine accomplices who waited outside the restaurant, Solis said. 

Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that Sandoval did not die immediately, but when his bodyguards tried to evacuate him from the restaurant, their escape was blocked by more gunmen in the street outside, who opened fire, seriously injuring one of the bodyguards. The former governor died soon afterwards at a local hospital. 

According to officials, Sandoval had 15 police bodyguards assigned to him as well as bulletproof vehicles. Two of the bodyguards were present but were outside the restaurant when the attack took place. 

Solis said that staff at the restaurant cleaned the crime scene, removing blood and bullet casings, and erasing video of the attack. “There are no clues - they practically swept the place clean,” Solis told Televisa. He said eight to 10 suspects were involved in the attack but did not indicate who was responsible.

Jalisco is the heartland of one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal gangs, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The gang controls much of the state since it rose to power during the former governor’s term from 2013 to 2018. Mexico has been marred by gang violence for years. More than 34,500 murders were reported last year, but the country already set a new record as during the first six months of 2020 there were more than 17,400 murders - a 1.7 percent increase compared with the same period last year. - Aljazeera, The Guardian Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

Read More........ → December 20, 2020

Gunmen attack in Naigeria school, hundreds missing

Hundreds of students feared missing after unidentified gunmen attacked a secondary school in north-western Nigeria on Friday evening.

No student was injured in the attack, said authority.

Witnesses said that the attackers targeted the Government Science Secondary School - where more than 800 students are said to reside - in Katsina state on Friday evening.

On Saturday, the military said it had located the gunmen's hideout in a forest and exchanged gunfire with them.

The outcome was unclear but officials said there were no reports of students being injured. However, witnesses said they saw a number of students being taken away by the gunmen.

In a statement on Saturday, police said that during an exchange of fire, some of the gunmen were forced to retreat. Students were able to scale the fence of the school and run to safety, they said.About 200 students who had fled - and were initially deemed missing - later returned. One police officer was taken to hospital after being shot and wounded, police said. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

Read More........ → December 15, 2020

NZ sex worker wins major payout in sexual harassment case

A New Zealand sex worker will receive a six-figure payout after filing a sexual harassment case against a business owner.

The sum is part of a settlement to compensate the woman for "emotional harm and lost earnings", said the human rights body that represented her.

The case served as a reminder that all workers have the right to freedom from sexual harassment at work, it added.

New Zealand passed a law decriminalizing sex work in 2003.

The details of the proceedings, including the identities of those involved, is confidential.

But the settlement announced on Monday was viewed as an important milestone for sex workers' rights.

"It's great to see a settlement of this type has been awarded in the context of sex work to a sex worker," Dame Catherine Healy, national coordinator of the New Zealand Sex Workers Collective, told the BBC.

"It takes courage to stand up in the workplace, any workplace," she added, saying it was a "wake-up call" for businesses.

Healy was at the forefront of a long campaign to decriminalise sex work in New Zealand, arguing that it would make the profession safer.

Her collective helped draft the landmark Prostitution Reform Act. It was passed in 2003, allowing brothels to operate as legitimate businesses and granting sex workers full employment rights.

On Monday Michael Timmins, director of New Zealand's Office of Human Rights Proceedings, which represented the sex worker, said the settlement "serves as an important reminder to businesses across the country"."All workers, regardless of the type of work they do, have the right to freedom from sexual harassment in the workplace. We encourage all business owners and employers to ensure that they understand and respect those rights," he said in a statement. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

Read More........ → December 15, 2020

Biden’s son Hunter under federal tax investigation

Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden who won the US presidential election, and a frequent target of Republican attacks, said Wednesday he was under federal investigation about his taxes, reports BBC.

The revelation about the probe included no details, but it promises to rekindle Republican rage about the Biden family, including Hunter Biden’s business dealings and the elder Biden’s anti-corruption push in Ukraine when he was US vice president.

I learned yesterday for the first time that the US Attorney’s Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs, Hunter Biden said in a statement released by his father’s presidential transition team.

I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors, he added.

It also presents a series of thorny issues during the president-elect’s transition into the White House in just over one month’s time, including the possibility his son will still be under investigation by the US Department of Justice.Hunter Biden, 50, is a lawyer who has founded consulting and investment firms, worked in private equity and served on the board of various organizations including national railroad corporation Amtrak. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

Read More........ → December 10, 2020

800-page report shows how Tarrant eluded detection

New Zealand’s Royal Commission on Tuesday submitted a comprehensive report into last year’s Christchurch mosque shootings in which 51 Muslim worshippers were killed.

The nearly 800-page Royal Commission of Inquiry report shows that the attacker, Brenton Tarrant, kept a low profile and told nobody of his plans.

It concludes that despite the shortcomings of various agencies, there were no clear signs the attack was imminent aside from the manifesto Tarrant sent out just eight minutes before he began shooting, which came too late for agencies to respond.

But the report does detail failings in the police system for vetting gun licenses and says that New Zealand’s intelligence agencies were too alert on the threat posed by Islamic extremism at the expense of other threats.

Among 44 recommendations, the report says the government should establish a new national intelligence agency.

In 2019, 51 Muslims were killed in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch by a man named Brenton Tarrant.In August, the 30-year-old Tarrant was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to 92 counts of terrorism, murder, and attempted murder. https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

Read More........ → December 08, 2020

Facebook chief Zuckerberg braces for civil unrest

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday warned of the potential for civil unrest as votes are tallied in a US election that will be “a test” for the social network.

Zuckerberg expressed his concern while describing safeguards against misinformation and voter suppression at the leading social network that are intended to avoid the kinds of deception and abuse that played out four years ago.

“I’m worried that with our nation so divided and election results potentially taking days or weeks to be finalized there is a risk of civil unrest,” said Zuckerberg, who had also been grilled during a session on Capitol Hill earlier this week.

“Given this, companies like ours need to go well beyond what we’ve done before.”

Confusion early this week over political ads at Facebook marred the onset of what was supposed to be a cooling-off period ahead of the US presidential election on November 3.

Rival parties complained Facebook was undermining campaign efforts after blunders arose around a ban on new paid political ads being published in the week before Election Day.

“We’re investigating the issues of some ads being paused incorrectly, and some advertisers having trouble making changes to their campaigns,” Facebook product manager Rob Leathern said in a tweet when the ban kicked on Tuesday.

Political ad publishers can sidestep the ban by getting the advertisements loaded into Facebook prior to the deadline, and then disseminating them to a wider audience later.

California-based Facebook has tightened its rules on political advertising ahead of the 2020 election in other ways too, including prohibiting attempts to undermine the electoral process.

In the Facebook paid posts library — a list viewable by the public — for President Donald Trump’s campaign, what appeared to be a victory ad is already visible.

And on Tuesday, senior media advisor for Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden, Megan Clasen, tweeted a screen capture of a Trump Facebook ad showing a picture of the president and the message “Election Day Is Today.”

But the former vice president’s campaign had been told by Facebook they could not launch ads saying election day was “today” or even “tomorrow,” Clasen said in the tweet.

Democratic political strategist Eric Reif said on Twitter that he and others were working to have ads restored that had been mistakenly removed by Facebook.

“While next week will be a test for Facebook, I am proud of the work we have done here,” Zuckerberg said.

“I also know that our work doesn’t stop after November 3rd,” Zuckerberg said.“So we will keep anticipating new threats, evolving our approach and fighting to protect the integrity of the democratic process and the right of people to make their voices heard around the world.” Source:https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

Read More........ → December 08, 2020

आदर्श क्रेडिट कोआपरेटिव की 1500 करोड़ की संपत्ति जब्त, जनता का पैसा रिश्तेदारों को डायवर्ट

आदर्श समूह मुकेश मोदी वीरेंद्र मोदी व उनके परिवार तथा महेंद्र टांक व सौरभ टांक के रिद्धि सिद्धी समूह व अन्य आरोपितों का है। नई दिल्ली, प्रेट्र। प्रवर्तन निदेशालय (ईडी) ने आदर्श क्रेडिट कोआपरेटिव सोसायटी लि. (Adarsh Credit Cooperative Society Limited) की 1489 करोड़ रुपये की संपत्ति सोमवार को जब्त कर ली। इसमें 1464.76 करोड़ की अचल संपत्तियां व बैंक में जमा 24.44 करोड़ रुपये शामिल हैं। जनता के जमा धन के गबन के आरोप में ईडी ने यह कदम उठाया है। मोदी व टांक का है ग्रुप आदर्श समूह मुकेश मोदी, वीरेंद्र मोदी व उनके परिवार तथा महेंद्र टांक व सौरभ टांक के रिद्धि सिद्धी समूह व अन्य आरोपितों का है। ईडी द्वारा जब्त की गई संपत्तियां राजस्थान, हरियाणा, नई दिल्ली, गुजरात, महाराष्ट्र व उप्र में हैं। मनी लांड्रिंग के अपराध से संबंधित होने के कारण मनी लांड्रिंग रोकथाम अधिनियम (पीएमएलए) 2002 के तहत इन्हें फिलहाल अस्थाई रूप से जब्त किया गया है। भारी मात्रा में फंड डायवर्ट किया गया निवेशकों का आरोप था कि आदर्श क्रेडिट कोऑपरेटिव सोसाइटी लिमिटेड में समय पूरा होने के बाद भी पैसे वापस नहीं लौटाया गया। ईडी की जांच में सामने आया कि मुकेश के परिवार और रिश्तेदारों की कंपनियों में वेतन, प्रोत्साहन और कमीशन के माध्यम से भारी मात्रा में फंड को डायवर्ट किया गया। मुकेश और अन्य लोगों की वजह से आदर्श क्रेडिट कोऑपरेटिव सोसाइटी लिमिटेड (ACCSL) को लगभग 4,000 करोड़ रुपये का भारी नुकसान हुआ। दिसंबर 2018 में दर्ज हुआ था केस आदर्श समूह के खिलाफ दिसंबर 2018 में राजस्थान पुलिस के स्पेशल आपरेशन ग्रुप ने एफआइआर दर्ज की थी। आइपीसी की विभिन्न धाराओं में मुकेश व राहुल मोदी व आदर्श समूह के अन्य लोगों के खिलाफ धोखाधड़ी, हेराफेरी, आपराधिक षड्यंत्र व अन्य धाराओं में केस दर्ज किया था। कई निवेशकों ने सोसायटी के खिलाफ शिकायतें की थीं। इसी एफआइआर के आधार पर ईडी ने भी मामला हाथ में लिया। Source: https://www.jagran.com 

Read More........ → December 08, 2020

Can death penalty end Bangladesh’s rape culture?

 Protests in Bangladesh erupted after a video of a group of men attacking, stripping, and sexually assaulting a woman went viral. Protesters have demanded harsher punishments, faster trials, and an end to what they see as a culture of impunity for sex crimes in Bangladesh. 

After the nation-wide protests in October, the country has been divided into groups of people, one group demanding death penalty for rape accused and the other demanding reform of the law in some other aspects, for example, the definition of rape and questioning the character of a rape victim during trial. 

Amendment to allow death penalty in rape cases

Following the protest, the Bangladesh government has amended the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000, making the death sentence the highest punishment for committing rape. A Bangladeshi court issued the death penalty for the first time to five convicts in a rape case after two days the country amended the law to include a death provision. It is not clear whether the verdict was declared under the amended law or any previous law. 

Experts are showing concern that this amendment of law may actually deter suspected criminals from being convicted. Experts feel that impunity enjoyed by rapists in the country are not due to the fact that Bangladesh does not have a high punishment for rape - currently the highest punishment afforded is life imprisonment - but that rapists are convicted in only three percent of the cases. 

Low conviction rate

A 2013 UN multi-country survey found that among men in Bangladesh, who admitted to committing rape, 88 percent of rural respondents and 95 percent of urban respondents said that they faced no legal consequences. According to media reports, around 1,000 rape cases have been reported this year in Bangladesh. Experts are arguing that “there is an inverse relationship between the severity of punishment and conviction rates - the higher the punishment, the lower the conviction rate, as judges are less willing to pass down harsh verdicts, particularly in rape cases, where it is difficult, in the absence of a witness, to prove without a benefit of the doubt that the survivor was raped. Additionally, archaic rape

and evidence laws put the survivor, rather than the perpetrator, on trial. It is these outdated laws which need to be reformed in line with human rights standards on an urgent basis to ensure protection to victims and survivors of

sexual violence,” the Daily Star had reported.

Reform rape law

The Reform Law Reform Coalition, comprising 17 women's and human rights organizations, has identified existing gaps in the legal and institutional framework that prevent justice for rape victims/ survivors and laid down 10 proposals for reform. These are: reform rape laws in line with human rights standards; broaden the definition of rape to make it non-discriminatory; define penetration to cover all forms of rape; allow proportionality of punishment and introduce sentencing guidelines; ensure justice process is accessible to rape survivors with disabilities; prohibit use of character evidence against rape survivors; enact Witness Protection Law; establish a state compensation fund for rape survivors; hold gender-sensitization training for justice sector actors, and introduce consent classes in schools. Moreover, sexual harassment and witness protection laws have not been passed yet. 

Survivors continue to face stigma and do not have adequate access to psychosocial services when they seek help. The government expressed zero tolerance towards rapists and hence, the death penalty was introduced for convicts in rape cases. However, the government must also ensure that its administration and law enforcement does not, ever again, provide protection to rapists and that any allegations of rape in any political party meet the strictest of measures. Much before the video footage emerged, anger in Bangladesh had been brewing as several members of the ruling party's student wing were arrested and charged with gangraping a woman.

Bangladesh’s Law Minister Anisul Haq said that he is hopeful of significantly controlling inhuman rape offenses as the government is going to adopt other necessary measures, including “speedy and fair trial” and “proper investigation without any political or other interference.”

This is obviously great news that our government is not only amending the law to increase the severity of punishment but also addressing other concerns raised by civil society members. 

If these changes are brought in the law and implemented duly then we can hope that incidents of rape will be lesser than now. 

(The writer is an advocate in Bangladesh Supreme Court. The views expressed are personal)  Source: https://southasiamonitor.org

Read More........ → December 07, 2020

आदर्श क्रेडिट: तोमर ने कहा सरकार निवेशकों के पैसे वापस करने के लिए प्रयास कर रही है।

.

सहकारिता आदर्श क्रेडिट कोऑपरेटिव सोसाइटी के मुद्दे पर अपनी लंबी चुप्पी को तोड़ते हुए, केंद्रीय कृषि मंत्री नरेंद्र सिंह तोमर ने कहा कि केंद्र सरकार समाज के असहाय निवेशकों के पैसे वापस करने के लिए प्रयास कर रही है। Adarsh Credit

तोमर ने हाल ही में वीडियो कॉन्फ्रेंसिंग के जरिए आयोजित हिंदी अखबार पत्रिका के कार्यक्रम को संबोधित करते हुए कहा।

केंद्रीय कृषि मंत्री ने कहा, “Adarsh Credit सहकारी समिति परिसमापन में चली गई है। ऐसी परिस्थितियों में जब परिसमापक नियुक्त किए जाते हैं तो वे नियम और विनियमों के अनुसार काम करते हैं। सभी को आश्वस्त किया जाना चाहिए कि उनका पैसा वापस मिल जाएगा। उन्होंने कहा कि केंद्र सभी हितधारकों को पैसा लौटाने की कोशिश कर रहा है।

इस सवाल का जवाब देते हुए कि सरकार आदर्श क्रेडिट कोऑपरेटिव सोसाइटी के निवेशकों को राहत क्यों नहीं दे रही है, तोमर ने कहा, “एक सरकार अपने दम पर नहीं चलती है, सरकार कानून से चलती है। जब ऐसी स्थिति उत्पन्न होती है तो एक समाज में प्रशासकों की नियुक्ति की जाती है। सरकार इस मामले पर नजर रख रही है और निवेशकों के पैसे वापस करने का प्रयास किया जाएगा।

आदर्श क्रेडिट पीड़ितों ने पीएम मोदी सहित सभी को याचिका दी है

इससे पहले, भारतीय सहकारिता ने इन स्तंभों में बताया कि कोरोनावायरस का प्रकोप उन लोगों के लिए एक बड़ी समस्या है, जिन्होंने अपनी मेहनत की कमाई को सहकारिता में निवेश किया था। मौजूदा स्थिति में, निवेशकों के लिए दोनों सिरों को पूरा करना मुश्किल हो गया है।

कई निवेशकों ने प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी से मामले में हस्तक्षेप करने और परिसमापक को हटाने और क्रेडिट कोऑपरेटिव को विनियमित करने के लिए एक प्रशासक नियुक्त करने का आग्रह किया।

इस बीच, उन्होंने अपने अधिकारों के लिए लड़ने के लिए सोशल मीडिया प्लेटफॉर्म पर “आदर्श आदर्श क्रेडिट बचाओ” अभियान शुरू किया है।

राजस्थान के सिरोही में शुरू, Adarsh Credit हरियाणा और गुजरात के लिए अहमदाबाद में मुख्यालय के साथ बंद हो गया। सत्तर प्रतिशत से अधिक निवेशक राजस्थान के हैं।

आदर्श क्रेडिट के सह-चेयरमैन मुकेश और उनके परिवार के सदस्यों पर कथित तौर पर पोंजी स्कीम चलाने और कई फर्जी कंपनियों को चालू करने का आरोप है, जिसमें उन्होंने 8400 करोड़ रुपये निकाल लिए।आदर्श क्रेडिट सोसाइटी में 8 वर्षों में 20 लाख लोगों ने 14,682 करोड़ रुपये का निवेश किया। आदर्श क्रेडिट: तोमर ने कहा सरकार निवेशकों के पैसे वापस 

Read More........ → December 01, 2020

Roshni Scam list made public sheds more light on Gupkar Alliance

The Rs25,000 crore Roshni Scam list made public by the J&K administration today includes the names of top politicians in the Gupkar Alliance, bureaucrats and businessmen who allegedly encroached upon public land.

The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has already registered 3 FIRs in the murky land scam. The central probe agency has registered the fourth case in the matter which will be probing the role of senior state leaders in the multi-crore land grab case. 

The CBI investigation followed a Jammu and Kashmir High Court judgement declaring the controversial Roshni Act “unconstitutional” and directing that investigation into the land allotment scheme under it be transferred to the CBI.

CBI took over the Rs25,000 crore J&K land scam case earlier this month.

The CAG report estimated that against the targeted Rs25,000 crore, only Rs76 crore had been realised from the transfer of land into private ownership, IANS reported.

"While purchasing 3 Kanal of land in 1998, Farooq Abdullah encroached upon 7 Kanal land, which was forest land and state land. There was a conscious land loot by powerful people. They got benefits under Roshni Act declared unconstitutional by HC," said union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. 

Names of former finance minister Haseeb Drabu's two brothers — Ajaz Hussain Drabu and Iftikhar Ahmad Drabu – are also mentioned in the list.

IANS quoted sources in the CBI as saying that two officers played a key role in the scam and they currently hold the post of Chief Electoral Officer and secretary in the government of India.

Other high-profile names in the list include former minister and Congress leader Majid Wani, former home minister and National Conference leader Sajjad Kitchloo and former J&K Bank chairman MY Khan and retired Kashmir IAS officer Mohd Shafi Pandit.

Referred to as the 'biggest' scam in Jammu and Kashmir, the scheme was initiated by the Farooq Abdullah government, allegedly meant to bring about a demographic change in the Jammu region. 

The first case has been registered against unknown officials of the revenue department of Jammu. It is alleged that they had conferred undue benefits upon the illegal occupants of the state land by intentionally ignoring the laid down provisions of Roshni Act, thereby conferring ownership rights of the state land wrongfully to selective undeserving persons and hence inflicted huge monetary loss to the state exchequer, says the IANS report.

Reacting on the development the BJP termed it “heights of shamelessness” with BJP vice president from Kathua district saying, “Today the people are happy that abrogation of Article 370 has led to the exposing of people who had grabbed the land.”

The Congress also asked the Gupkar Alliance leaders to come out in the open and clarify their stand on the allegations in Roshini Scam.Under the controversial Roshni Act, the encroached land was to be regularised by the state government and the money collected from encroachers was to be used to fund hydroelectric projects. Source: "https://www.domain-b.com

Read More........ → December 01, 2020

NIA raids 5 locations in Baramulla in connection with ex-DySP Davinder Singh case

5 locations in Baramulla in connection with ex-DySP Davinder Singh case SEP 22, 2020 SRINAGAR: The NIA carried out searches at five places in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday in connection with a case related to arrested Deputy Superintendent of J&K Police Devender Singh, officials said. The agency swooped on these locations in the morning, they added. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had filed a chargesheet against Singh and others in July for alleged terror activities in the country. Copyright © Jammu Links News  Source: Jammu Links News

Read More........ → September 22, 2020

Interpol issues global arrest warrant against Nirav Modi's wife in PNB fraud case

AUG 25, 2020 NEW DELHI: An Interpol global arrest warrant has been issued against Ami Modi, wife of prime accused in the over USD 2 billion PNB bank fraud case Nirav Modi, on charges of money laundering, officials said on Tuesday. They said the ''red notice'' has been issued by the global police body on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Once such a notice issued against a fugitive, the Interpol asks its 192-member countries to arrest or detain the person if spotted in their countries after which extradition or deportation proceedings can begin. Ami Modi is stated to have left country soon after the alleged bank fraud case came into light in 2018. The ED has charged Ami Modi for conspiring and money laundering with her husband and jeweller Nirav Modi apart from his uncle Mehul Choksi and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Nirav Modi (49), is currently lodged in a UK jail after being arrested in London in March, 2019 and is currently fighting extradition to India. He has been declared a fugitive economic offender by a Mumbai court early this year and the court had also ordered confiscation of his assets. The ED has already confiscated about Rs 329 crore of his linked properties. The businessman, Choksi and others are being probed by the ED on money laundering charges in connection with an over USD 2 billion alleged bank fraud at a PNB branch in Mumbai. Similar Interpol notices have been earlier been issued against Nirav Modi's younger brother Nehal Modi and sister Purvi Modi. Copyright © Jammu Links News, Source:  Jammu Links News

Read More........ → August 25, 2020

Pakistan confirms putting Dawood Ibrahim's name in new terror sanctions list

AUG 23, 2020 ISLAMABAD: Days after including India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim on its new sanctions list, Pakistan on Sunday tried to wriggle out of its admission on his presence in the country by claiming that its notifications about the 88 banned terror groups and their leaders were based on the details provided by the UN. Seeking to escape from getting blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, Pakistan on Friday imposed tough financial sanctions on 88 banned terror groups and their leaders, including Ibrahim, 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar. The Pakistan government ordered the seizure of all movable and immovable properties of these outfits and individuals, and freezing of their bank accounts. Underworld don Ibrahim, who heads a vast and multifaceted illegal business, has emerged as India''s most wanted terrorist after the 1993 Mumbai bombings. In 2003, the US declared Ibrahim as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. India has repeatedly asked the Government of Pakistan to hand over Ibrahim to India so that he can be prosecuted for the crimes committed by him. It is reported that Ibrahim is based in the southern port city of Karachi. Pakistan''s Foreign Office issued a midnight statement in response to the media reports that Islamabad had admitted in the two new notifications issued on August 18 that Ibrahim was residing in the country. It said that the SROs (Statutory Regulatory Orders) issued reflect the information contained in the list entry of UN designated individuals/entities. It said the reports in certain sections of the media about Pakistan imposing new sanctions measures, through these SROs, were not factual. The assertions made by some sections of the media, as to Pakistan admitting to the "presence of certain listed individuals on its territory, based on the information contained in the SRO, are baseless and misleading", it claimed. "It is once again reiterated that the information contained in the SRO is reproduced as per the details in the list entry of the individuals/entities designated under the two sanctions regime, which is publicly available, and contains names of individuals who despite their confirmed deceased status still continue to be on the sanctions list," it said. The Foreign Office said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued two consolidated SROs on August 18, reflecting the current status of the UN Taliban and ISIL (Da''esh) and AQ Sanctions list. These lists contain names of individuals and entities designated under the two sanction regimes established pursuant to the UN Security Council resolutions, it said, adding that the consolidated SROs are issued periodically as a routine matter. Similar SROs have been issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the past, as per statutory requirements to meet our international obligations. The last such SROs were issued in 2019, the Foreign Office said. The Paris-based FATF put Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action by the end of 2019, but the deadline was extended later due to COVID-19 pandemic. Though various sanctions were in place against almost all of those listed by the UNSC, the Pakistan government through the new notifications on Friday consolidated and documented the previously announced measures, Pakistani media reports said on Saturday. The UNSC Sanctions Committee deals with sanctions on entities and individuals declared as terrorists. All states, including Pakistan, are bound to implement the sanctions which include assets freeze, an arms embargo, and travel ban. It is believed that the latest move by the Pakistan government is part of its efforts to wriggle out of the grey list of the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF. On August 12, Pakistan Parliament''s lower house passed four bills related to the tough conditions set by the FATF after the government and the Opposition reached a consensus. The legislation was part of the efforts by Pakistan to move from the FATF''s grey list to the white list. In its third and final plenary held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic in June, the FATF decided to keep Pakistan in the "grey list" as Islamabad failed to check the flow of money to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The plenary was held under the Chinese Presidency of Xiangmin Liu. With Pakistan''s continuation in the ''grey list'', it will be difficult for the country to get financial aid from the IMF, World Bank, ADB, and the European Union, thus further enhancing problems for the nation which is in a precarious financial situation. If Pakistan fails to comply with the FATF directive by October, there is every possibility that the global body may put the country in the ''Black List'' along with North Korea and Iran. The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. The FATF currently has 39 members including two regional organisations - the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council. Copyright © Jammu Links News, Source: Jammu Links News

Read More........ → August 21, 2020

Malaysia’s ex-finance minister Lim Guan charged with bribery

Lim Guan Eng, former finance minister of Malaysia, was charged with corruption over a $1.5 billion construction project; Photo: AFP

Lim Guan Eng, former finance minister of Malaysia, was charged with corruption over a $1.5 billion construction project on Friday, the latest government critic to be targeted since a scandal-plagued party returned to power, news agency AFP reported.

The case centers on a 6.3 billion ringgit ($1.5 billion) project to build an undersea tunnel in the northern state of Penang, which Lim led as chief minister from 2008 to 2018.

Earlier, Lim Guan Eng, who is also the leader of the opposition group the Democratic Action Party (DAP), was arrested on Thursday in connection with the allegations, however, pleaded not guilty to one count of soliciting a bribe from a businessman in exchange for his company being appointed for the project.

“This is a baseless allegation and it’s politically motivated to destroy and tarnish my reputation as well as, of course, my effort to execute my role as an opposition parliamentarian,” he told reporters after he was released on bail.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s former finance minister may face a jail term of up to 20 years if convicted. He will also face two more corruption charges next week, according to the Anti Corruption Commission of the country.

Officials had been investigating the case for some time, and Lim had already been questioned several times over it. 

Lim was part of the Mahathir Mohamad-led administration that collapsed in February.

He was one of the key leaders from the Mahathir administration who was involved in Malaysia’s efforts to recover billions allegedly stolen from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Lim was charged with two counts of abuse of power in 2016 for approving a land deal and in the purchase of a bungalow at a below-market price, a move critics said was part of a crackdown on those opposed to then Prime Minister Najib Razak’s administration.

The charges were dismissed after Najib was ousted in the 2018 election by the Mahathir-led coalition Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

Read More........ → August 13, 2020

Order CBI investigation in Sushant's death case, late actor's father requests Nitish Kumar

PATNA: KK Singh, father of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, on Tuesday requested Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation in the case related to the actor's death. Singh spoke to the Bihar CM today and put forth his request for the CBI to investigate the matter. His request comes as an official of the Bihar Police, Patna (Central) Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinay Tiwari was home quarantined in Mumbai, where he had gone to take part in investigations, by the Brihannmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) staff. Earlier, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan had also requested the Bihar CM to transfer the case to CBI without further delay. Paswan said that LJP leaders, related to the late actor, had informed him that on August 5 the Supreme Court will hear a petition seeking transfer of the case from Bihar to Mumbai. "They said that the opportunity to transfer the case filed in Bihar to CBI is with you today. Because today both Bihar and Maharashtra police are investigating the case, but if the probe is handed over to the Maharashtra government then the opportunity of transferring it to the CBI will slip out of the hands of the Bihar government," the letter written by the LJP national chief to Kumar read. Earlier, KK Singh had revealed that he had filed a complaint with Mumbai police in February claiming his son's life was in danger. The revelation came as he filed an FIR with Patna police, alleging Mumbai police of inaction even after 40 days of the actor's sudden death. In a self-made video, Singh alleged that the accused in the actor's death case is on the loose and Patna Police should be provided with help. "On February 25, I informed Bandra Police that the life of my son Sushant is in danger. He died on June 14 and I asked them to act against people named in my Feb 25 complaint. No action has been taken even 40 days after his death. So, I filed FIR in Patna. Patna Police swung into action. But the accused is running away(on the loose). Patna Police should be given help. I thank Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his colleague Sanjay Jha who gave support to the truth in this hour of grief," he said. After the actor's demise on June 14, he asked the police to take action against the people named in the complaint given by him on February 25, said Singh, adding that no action has been taken. An FIR was filed by Patna Police against actor Rhea Chakraborty in the Rajput's death case under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including abetment of suicide. Bihar Police started the investigation and dispatched a team to Mumbai. A controversy erupted after Patna Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinay Tiwari, who is probing the case was quarantined in Mumbai. A bench of Bombay High Court (HC) will hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking transfer of Sushant Singh Rajput's death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today (August 4). The matter will be heard by the bench headed by Bombay HC Chief Justice Dipankar Datta. The PIL for transferring the case related to the actor's death to the CBI has been filed by one Sameet Thakkar, through his lawyer Raspal Singh Renu. Copyright © Jammu Links News Source: Jammu Links News

Read More........ → August 05, 2020

Korea punishes TikTok for data mishandling

In this file photo illustration, the logo of social media application TikTok is displayed on the screen of an iPhone, in Arlington, Virginia. TikTok has been caught up in the escalating dispute between the United States and China, with the Chinese-owned firm accused of acting as a surveillance tool for Beijing, an allegation it denies. AFP-Yonhap

By Kim Yoo-chul: The country's top telecom regulator fined Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok 186 million won ($155,000) over the app operator's mismanagement of user data, with the regulator chief Han Sang-hyuck calling it a "problematic company."

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said Wednesday the regulator's decision to impose the fine was based on its thorough internal investigation that uncovered TikTok's violation of local telecommunication laws.

"The KCC can confirm TikTok didn't get parental consent when collecting personal data for users younger than 14. Plus, TikTok didn't notify its users of its overseas transfer of personal data. While TikTok had promised children under the age of 14 wouldn't be able to use its service, it didn't operate a proper online age verification process," the KCC said in a statement, adding the telecom regulator also found TikTok collected data on at least 6,007 children under the age of 14 registered to the service between May 31, 2017, and Dec. 6 last year.

TikTok also transferred Korean user data to servers in the United States and Singapore without prior notice, the regulator said. With regard to the KCC's request for the latest updates on its data privacy policies, TikTok said personal information of its Korean users is being managed by cloud-computing service operators in the U.S. and Singapore.

The KCC notified TikTok of the decision Wednesday. The regulator also requested TikTok correct "all problems found" within 30 days. "The KCC ordered TikTok to immediately stop its practice of violating local telecommunication laws."

A few hours after the KCC announcement, one TikTok user in China claimed Korean K-pop stars' TikTok accounts had been deleted. TikTok accounts of some K-pop stars are still active, but some officials didn't rule out the possibility that more K-pop stars' TikTok accounts will be deleted.

Amid intense scrutiny over TikTok as a potential national security risk in the United States, top Washington officials said the United States is considering banning the use of TikTok and other Chinese social media apps such as WeChat.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro recently claimed TikTok is one of the biggest forms of censorship in mainland China. He further alleged that "all of the data that goes into those mobile apps that kids have so much fun with and seem so convenient, it goes right to servers in China, right to the Chinese military, the Chinese Communist Party and the agencies which want to steal our intellectual property."

Launched by Chinese internet upstart ByteDance, TikTok has been working to distance itself from its Chinese association through efforts such as storing data in the United States and Singapore as well as overhauling its corporate structure, industry officials said. It remains to be seen whether or not Korean companies will join hands with Washington's calls to boycott TikTok, after Wells Fargo and Amazon asked employees to remove TikTok from their mobile phones.

As of last year, TikTok had 3.4 million users here, according to industry tracker WiseApp. Source https://www.koreatimes.co.kr

Read More........ → July 17, 2020

'My Son Should Be Killed, He Deserves Strict Punishment': Mother Of Criminal Who Killed 8 Cops In Kanpur

"He should surrender himself before the police. If he continues to remain at large, police may kill him in the encounter. I say kill him even if you (police) manage to catch him. Strict punishment should be given to him," said Sarla Devi. 

The mother of notorious criminal Vikas Dubey, the main accused in the Kanpur encounter case in which eight policemen including a DSP were killed, has said that police should kill her son even if they manage to arrest him. NDTV reported that while talking to ANI, she said that her son deserves strict punishment. "He should surrender himself before the police. If he continues to remain at large, police may kill him in the encounter. I say kill him even if you (police) manage to catch him. Strict punishment should be given to him," said Sarla Devi. "By killing innocent policemen, he has done a very bad thing. I saw the news of the encounter on TV. I want he should come out and surrender to police for his betterment, otherwise, police will find him anyway. I am saying nab him and then do encounter. He must be punished," she added. Advertisement According to Sarla Devi, Dubey joined the crime world after coming in contact with politicians. "He wanted to win MLA elections. He had gunned down Santosh Shukla, a minister in the Rajnath Singh-led UP government," she said. "I have not met him in 4 months. I am living with my younger son here in Lucknow. We are facing problem because of him. We are embarrassed because of him," she added Meanwhile, Mohit Agarwal, IG Kanpur, has said that any person with information about the whereabouts of Vikas Dubey will be given Rs 50,000 cash. As many as eight police personnel were killed after they were fired upon by criminals last week when a police team had gone to raid Vikas Dubey's house. Source: https://thelogicalindian.com

Read More........ → July 05, 2020