An extraordinary political drama is unfolding in Alaska as both the FBI and federal grand juries investigate Ted Stevens, the nation’s longest-sitting Republican senator, and his son Ben Stevens, a former state Senate president whose office was twice searched by federal agents last year.
The wide-ranging public-corruption investigation started with bribery allegations in the Juneau statehouse. […]

The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a criminal inquiry of nearly a dozen oil and oil-services companies, focusing on potentially illegal payments – bribes - to customs agents who provided freight forwarding and other services, including in Nigeria.
A civil investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission also is under way.

A good article in today’s New York Times about oil development in Sao Tome, the small principality off the West African Coast.
In contrast to much of African oil development – that has been plagued by corruption – Sao Tome’s oil development was meant to be different and benefit the local people. It was meant […]

After two years as President at the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, architect of the Iraq war, tendered his resignation on Thursday evening.
“I have concluded that it is in the best interests of those whom this institution serves for that mission to be carried forward under new leadership,” writes Wolfowitz in a statement posted on the […]

Some say that corruption always starts at home. The CEO of VECO, an oil field services company, has pleaded guilty in an American federal court to bribing Alaska lawmakers during negotiations over a proposed natural gas pipeline.
Bill J. Allen, has entered his plea in US. District Court to numerous counts, including conspiracy and bribery. […]