Politically Exposed Person (PEP) Weekly Digest – Volume 84

84th PEP Weekly Digest:

Introducing the 84th edition of The PEP Weekly Digest, where we present to you the most recent updates and news on the global political stage.

Recent and upcoming elections influence the worldwide political landscape in eight nations, slated between Dec 14, 2024 and Feb 09, 2025. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Announces Resignation, to Step Down After New Liberal Party Leader is Chosen.

One noteworthy event has occurred in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation saying he intends to step down from the top job and as the leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party once a new party leader is chosen.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its new leader,” the 53-year-old leader told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa.

Canada’s parliament will be suspended until March 24 while a new Liberal Party leader is chosen, he also said.

Trudeau added that he has “one regret” – failing to reform Canada’s election process, ahead of a general election expected this fall.

“If I have one regret, particularly as we approach this election — well, probably many regrets that I will think of,” the outgoing leader said. “But I do wish we’d been able to change the way we elect our governments in this country so that people could simply choose a second choice, or a third choice on the same ballot.” Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party for 11 years and prime minister for nine, was facing a mounting set of crises, from Donald Trump’s tariff threats to the resignation of key allies and disastrous opinion polls. His resignation could be seen as choosing to jump before he is pushed, ahead of a general election to be held later this year that he is widely expected to lose.

John Dramani Mahama Sworn in for Second Term as Ghana’s President, Pledges Economic Recovery and Job Creation

Shifting our focus to Ghana, John Dramani Mahama was sworn in for a second term as Ghana’s president at a ceremony in the capital Accra, pledging to overcome public discontent by boosting the economy and creating much-needed jobs.

The opposition leader, 66, won the Dec. 7 presidential election by a wide margin to stage a political comeback in the West African nation, the world’s number-two cocoa producer.

He replaces Nana Akufo-Addo, who steps down after serving two terms, continuing Ghana’s democratic tradition in a region gripped elsewhere by military coups and jihadist insurgencies. Over 20 presidents and heads of state from around the world attended the rite in Accra’s independence square, the scene of Ghanaian presidential inaugurations since Kwame Nkrumah was sworn in over six decades ago.

Former Peruvian Prime Minister and Defense Minister Walter Martos Dies at 67.

In Peru, the former prime minister of former Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra (2018-2020), Walter Martos, died in Lima at the age of 67, the Ministry of Defense reported, a portfolio he also held during that government period as a retired Army general. Martos was President of the Council of Ministers when Vizcarra was removed from office by Congress in November 2020 for alleged illicit payments from construction companies when he was regional governor of Moquegua and Minister of Transport. The Ministry of Defense published a message of condolences on its social media account X in which it regretted the death of the retired major general. “We deeply regret this loss, which has brought mourning to the defence sector and our country,” the ministry said

UK Gambling Commission Fines Greentube Alderney £1m for AML and Social Responsibility Failures

In the realm of regulatory affairs, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued its first regulatory penalty in 2025, charging Greentube Alderney Ltd a substantial sum for failing to meet AML and social responsibility regulatory standards. Greentube Alderney is the operating company of Admiral Casino, an online and retail slot games operator which is a familiar face across many UK high-streets. The UKGC opted to charge the firm £1m, with the funds due to be distributed to social responsibility causes. The company’s AML failures occurred between September 2022 and June 2023 and saw a lack of scrutiny of available information upon receipt leading to delays in the identification and potential escalation of money laundering or terrorism financing risks. The UKGC also asserts that Greentube failed to follow its own policy around ‘risky occupations’, such as not considering a customer’s job as a ‘finance manager’, who the regulator states could have access to misappropriated or laundered funds, in their profile.

Former Democratic Party (DP) Leader Song Young-gil Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Soliciting Illegal Political Funds

Shifting our attention to South Korea, the Seoul Central District Court handed former Democratic Party (DP) leader Song Young-gil a two-year prison sentence after finding him guilty of soliciting illegal political funds ahead of his ultimately successful bid for the party’s top post in 2021. The former DP leader was indicted in January last year on charges of collecting 763 million won ($524,000) in illegal political funds from seven businesspeople under the pretext of donations for his support group. However, the court acquitted him of involvement in his campaign’s distribution of cash envelopes totaling 66 million won to 20 sitting DP lawmakers and members ahead of the party’s leadership election in May 2021.

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