Crude Intentions

Zusatztext We live in a golden age for kleptocrats. The governments and firms that control the supply of petroleum-the world's most valuable commodity-have enjoyed 20 years of windfall profits. In this gripping! deeply-informed! book! Alex Gillies reveals the intricate deceptions! unwitting enablers! and extravagant fraud that has turned this oil into staggering wealth! power! and corruption. This is a uniquely enlightening book with a wealth of insights about how these crimeshappen and what we must do to fix them."- Informationen zum Autor Alexandra Gillies is an advisor at the Natural Resource Governance Institute, a not-for-profit group. She has worked to promote transparency and combat corruption in the oil sector for more than ten years. Gillies holds a PhD in international relations from the University of Cambridge, where she researched the politics of Nigeria's oil sector. She lives in New York City. Klappentext Billions of dollars stolen from citizens are circling the globe, enriching powerful individuals, altering political outcomes, and disadvantaging everyday people. Where does one begin to fight corruption of this magnitude? To find answers, Crude Intentions examines the corruption crisis that erupted during the recent oil boom. Telling stories drawn from around the world, the book reveals how company bosses signed off on risky schemes, kleptocrats used oilwealth to cement their hold on power, and armies of bankers, accountants, and lawyers stashed the stolen loot offshore. But, the stories also reveal vulnerabilities in this web of fraud, and show how heroic prosecutors, journalists and activists succeeded in battling back. These are the starting points forbuilding a smarter fight against corruption, in the oil sector and well beyond. Zusammenfassung Billions of dollars stolen from citizens are circling the globe! enriching powerful individuals! altering political outcomes! and disadvantaging everyday people. News headlines provide glimpses of how this corruption works and why it matters: President Trump's businesses struck deals with oligarchs and sold property to secretive shell companies; the Panama Papers leak triggered investigations in 79 countries; and! corruption scandals toppled heads of state in Brazil!South Africa! and South Korea. But how do these pieces fit together? And if the corruption is so vast and so tied up with powerful interests! how do we begin to fight back? To find answers! Crude Intentions examines the corruption crisis that erupted during the recent oil boom. From 2008 to 2014! oil prices shot through the roof. Motivated by more than nine trillion dollars in new oil money! corruption followed apace. Examining the oil boom is like placing a drop of dye in the circulatory system of global corruption! and watching as it reveals the system's channels and pathways. Company bosses signed off on risky schemes to snap up choice oil blocks. Politicians in Brazil and Nigeria stole billions to build up their election war chests. Kleptocrats in Angola! Azerbaijan! and Russia seized upon the oil wealth to cement their hold on power. And an army of bankers! accountants! and lawyers lined up to help these corrupt actors stash their loot in the global system of shell companies and tax havens that serves today's super-rich. The money then bought yachts! mansions! andeven a few foreign politicians. Drawing on information exposed by intrepid journalists! prosecutors! and whistle blowers! Crude Intentions tells jaw-dropping stories of corruption and asks what we can learn from them. The cases reveal common tactics! but also vulnerabilities in this web of fraud. These are the starting points for building a smarter fight against corruption! in the oil sector and well beyond. ...

Autorentext

Alexandra Gillies is an advisor at the Natural Resource Governance Institute, a not-for-profit group. She has worked to promote transparency and combat corruption in the oil sector for more than ten years. Gillies holds a PhD in international relations from the University of Cambridge, where she researched the politics of Nigeria's oil sector. She lives in New York City.

Klappentext

Billions of dollars stolen from citizens are circling the globe, enriching powerful individuals, altering political outcomes, and disadvantaging everyday people. Where does one begin to fight corruption of this magnitude? To find answers, Crude Intentions examines the corruption crisis that erupted during the recent oil boom. Telling stories drawn from around the world, the book reveals how company bosses signed off on risky schemes, kleptocrats used oil wealth to cement their hold on power, and armies of bankers, accountants, and lawyers stashed the stolen loot offshore. But, the stories also reveal vulnerabilities in this web of fraud, and show how heroic prosecutors, journalists and activists succeeded in battling back. These are the starting points for building a smarter fight against corruption, in the oil sector and well beyond.

Inhalt

• Chapter 1: The Crisis of Corruption

• Chapter 2: "Being a Friend in a Nest of Vipers"

• Chapter 3: Corruption and the Competition for Power

• Chapter 4: The Kleptocracy Kings

• Chapter 5: "An Octopus that Reaches around the Globe"

• Chapter 6: Corruption's Motley Foes

• Chapter 7: We Know How to Fight Corruption

• Notes

• References

• Index