Corruption

Failed states perceived as most corrupt in 2008

Article published on the 2008-09-23 Latest update 2008-09-24 09:59 TU

Graft watchdog Transparency International released its annual report Tuesday, highlighting countries such as Somalia and Iraq as showing the highest perceived levels of corruption. The group ranked several African countries quite high on the list, with Somalia, Chad and Sudan this year again near the bottom of the pile.

"Africa finds itself  under a stranglehold of poverty, and its bedfellow is ignorance," Job Ogonda, Executive Director of Transparency International in Kenya, told RFI.

Ogonda said that two richer African countries, Botswana and Mauritius, were lower on the perceived corruption list because their police officers, for example, were well-paid and less likely to take bribes.

"In the case of Kenya, however, policemen are paid horrendously" he said. Ogonda added that corruption cannot be entirely blamed on poverty and that poor governance also boosts the problem.

 "Stemming corruption requires strong oversight through parliaments, law enforcement, independent media and a vibrant civil society," said Huguette Labelle, the Chairperson of Transparency International.

The group's report tracks what it calls "perceived levels" of corruption but it came in for criticism over a separate report earlier this year when The Guardian newspaper claimed that its reporting of transparency was biased.

The paper pointed to funding of the group by the US and UK governments as well as by international oil companies and questioned its independence.