UK agency moves to prosecute BAE Systems for alleged illegal payments on contracts

October 1st, 2009 UK prosecutors move on BAE Systems over paymentsLONDON — British anti-fraud prosecutors intend to pursue a case against BAE Systems PLC, the world's No. 2 defense contractor, on charges of corruption in dealings on foreign contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

September 18th, 2009 Colombia moves to dismantle domestic spy agencyBOGOTA — After a wiretapping scandal, Colombia's domestic spy department will be dismantled and a new agency will be set up to focus on intelligence and counterintelligence work involving national security, the nation's spy chief said Friday. Felipe Munoz Gomez said the majority of the current agency's 6,000 employees will be transferred to the criminal investigative unit of the police and other investigative bodies.

September 16th, 2009 Nortel bankruptcy judge denies Verizon objectionWILMINGTON, Del. — The judge presiding over the Nortel Networks bankruptcy has ruled against an objection by Verizon Communications Inc.

September 10th, 2009 European envoy asks Russia about NGO killingMOSCOW — The Council of Europe's commissioner on human rights says Russia must prosecute the killers of a human rights activist in Chechnya this year, if it is to break a cycle of violence in the region. Thomas Hammarberg said Thursday that bringing the killers of Natalya Estemirova to justice will help dissipate the atmosphere of impunity that pervades Russia's violent southern fringe.

August 12th, 2009 Feds to pay $500 million in Social Security suitOAKLAND — A federal judge has tentatively approved a settlement requiring the government to pay more than $500 million to tens of thousands of people wrongly barred from receiving Social Security payments. The Social Security Administration over the past several years withheld benefit checks from recipients found to have outstanding arrest warrants Agency officials say they were complying with a 1996 law requiring them to stop payments to recipients "fleeing to avoid prosecution" of a felony.

July 24th, 2009 PANAJI - Goa's Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar has alleged that nearly one-fifth of the state's mineral exports are illegally mined. Speaking during the question hour of the budget session of the Goa legislative assembly Friday, Parrikar also charged the government with being hand-in-glove with the illegal mining lobby.

June 17th, 2009 Audit: FEMA failed to follow contracting rulesWASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to follow some federal contracting rules, making it impossible to know whether the agency got its money's worth during disasters, a government audit found. In a report released Tuesday, the inspector general for the Homeland Security Department said that auditors looked at 32 disaster contracts from 2007.

June 9th, 2009 34 illegal immigrants found in Phoenix drop housePHOENIX — Authorities say they have busted the third drop house for illegal immigrants found in the Phoenix area in the last few days. Officer Robert Bailey with the Arizona Department of Public Safety says the third house was raided Monday.

June 7th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Governor R.S. Gavai has given the go-ahead to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin scam, CBI sources said Sunday.

May 8th, 2009 Pentagon to add 20,000 jobs for contracting reformWASHINGTON — Under pressure to reform its troubled weapons-buying process, the Pentagon is planning to add 20,000 new federal jobs over five years to beef up its ability to handle contracts, cost estimates and oversight, the deputy defense secretary said Wednesday. William Lynn told the Senate Armed Services Committee that as the department increases personnel, it also will move toward more fixed-price contracts, scrutinize programs more closely and link incentive payments to contractor's performance.

May 8th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Congress-led opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) submitted a memorandum to Kerala Governor R.S. Gavai that details the SNC Lavalin corruption case in which Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan is an accused.

May 2nd, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Leader of Opposition in Kerala assembly Oommen Chandy Saturday asked Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan to overlook the state advocate general's opinion and give a nod to prosecute Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin corruption case.

March 27th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The opposition parties in Kerala Friday met Governor R.S. Gavai to seek his intervention to speed up prosecution in SNS Lavalin corruption case in which ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan is an accused.

March 5th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Opposition parties in Kerala Thursday urged Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan to give the sanction to prosecute Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan, an accused in the SNC Lavalin corruption case.

February 8th, 2009 KOCHI - The case of alleged corruption by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Kerala secretary Pinarayi Vijayan will be heard by the high court here Wednesday. The case has taken Kerala by storm and has created ripples in national politics.