Politically Exposed Person (PEP) Weekly Digest – Volume 86

86th PEP Weekly Digest:

Introducing the 86th 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 29, 2024 and Feb 23, 2025. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

Tonga’s King Appoints ‘Aisake Eke as Prime Minister After Siaosi Sovaleni’s Resignation

One noteworthy event occurred in Tonga. Tonga’s King Tupou VI appointed ‘Aisake Eke as prime minister a month after MPs selected him as the Pacific Island nation’s next leader. Former prime minister Siaosi Sovaleni, who had a tense relationship with the monarch, resigned in December saying the move was “for the good of the country”.

Eke, 64, also becomes chairman of the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum, where Tonga has supported a region-wide policing initiative to reduce the group’s reliance on outside security partners. Eke is a former public servant and finance minister who attended university in Australia and Fiji. He was elected as the member of parliament for Tongatapu No.5 constituency in 2010. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement on Facebook he looked forward to “continued engagement” to support Tonga’s priorities.

Amanda Rishworth Appointed New NDIS Minister in Cabinet Reshuffle After Bill Shorten’s Retirement

Shifting our focus to Australia, Amanda Rishworth Becomes the New National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Minister. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged Mr Shorten’s contributions to the NDIS, commending his efforts and reaffirming his government’s commitment to sustaining the program. “When Labor established the NDIS, we made a promise to people with disability, to families and to carers not to leave you behind. We will keep that promise,” Mr Albanese said.

Amanda Rishworth is set to take on the role of the new NDIS minister, with Katy Gallagher adding another portfolio to her responsibilities. Anne Aly will support Amanda Rishworth in her new role, as part of a cabinet reshuffle triggered by Bill Shorten’s retirement.

The ABC reported that a cabinet reshuffle was on the horizon, with Mr Shorten noting that his successor in the portfolio would face a substantial responsibility.

Mr Shorten will bring his 17-year political career to a close, having served in multiple ministerial roles and twice leading Labor in federal elections. His departure sees Ms Rishworth take on the NDIS portfolio, aligning oversight of the scheme with the newly established “foundational support” system for people with disabilities, which is already part of her social services responsibilities.

Tajikistan President Appoints Emomali Sobirzoda as New Defense Minister in Cabinet Reshuffle

In Tajikistan, the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has appointed Emomali Sobirzoda as the new minister of defense of the country, Trend reports via the presidential administration. Prior to his new appointment, Sobirzoda held the position of First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Tajikistan.

By another decree, President Rahmon appointed Bobodjon Saidzoda as First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Tajikistan.

Previously, the position of minister of defense was held by Sherali Mirzo, who, by a new decree, was appointed head of the State Secret Protection Department under the Government of Tajikistan.

Harrison Thames Valley Solicitors Fined £25,000 by SRA for Breaching Money Laundering Regulations

In the realm of regulatory affairs, Reading-based law firm Harrison Thames Valley Solicitors LLP has been fined £25,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) following ‘serious breaches’ of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLRs 2017).

The fine came following an SRA investigation which found the firm did not appropriate measures to assess and mitigate risks related to money laundering and terrorist financing over a 6 year period from 2017 to 2023.

Between 26th June 2017 and 2nd November 2023 the SRA’s Anti Money Laundering (AML) team found:

The firm did not have an adequate firm-wide risk assessment (FWRA) to identify and assess money laundering risks in compliance with Regulation 18 of the MLRs 2017.

It lacked fully compliant Policies, Controls, and Procedures (PCPs) to manage those risks, contravening Regulation 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the MLRs 2017. breaching the SRA’s Principles and Code of Conduct. The firm’s investigation was deemed serious under the SRA’s Enforcement Strategy due to its potential to harm public trust and confidence in the legal profession. However, the penalty was mitigated because:

The firm cooperated fully with the investigation.

It promptly addressed the breaches and implemented compliant AML documentation by 2 November 2023.

No actual harm to clients or third parties was identified.

Former IAS Officer Pradeep Sharma Sentenced to Five Years in Jail for Corruption in Kutch Land Allotment Case

Shifting our attention to India, a sessions court sentenced former IAS officer Pradeep Sharma to five years in jail and fined him Rs 75,000 in a corruption case dating back to 2004 when he was the collector of Kutch district in Gujarat. The court of principal district and sessions judge KM Sojitra convicted him in a case registered by Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) pertaining to the allotment of a piece of land to Welspun Group at a price that allegedly caused a loss of Rs 1.2 crore to the government exchequer.

The court found Mr Sharma guilty section 13 (2) (criminal misconduct by a public servant) and section 11 (public servants obtaining an undue advantage without consideration) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

He was sentenced to five years in jail and fined Rs 50,000 fine under section 13(2), and given a three year sentence and fine of Rs 25,000 under section 11, public prosecutor Kalpesh Goswami said, adding both the sentences will run concurrently.

Read about the product: Data Asset Builder

Empower your organization with ZIGRAM’s integrated RegTech solutions – Book a Demo