Wednesday, November 14, 2012

How it works in Guinea

Guinea is one of the more corrupt countries on earth, ranking 164th in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index. Its mining sector is totally corrupt, with money flowing into the pockets of politicians and cronies rather than the people. Its public sector is full of fictitious jobs, enabling theft by public servants. The police are basically street thugs who shake people down for cash.

Guinea's president Alpha Conde promised to change this. He appointed a treasury chief who would take a hard line on corruption. And last month, when she discovered someone had stolen US$1.8 million from the treasury, she began an investigation. So they murdered her:
The head of Guinea's treasury was gunned down as she was driving home in what her colleagues describe as a brazen assassination aimed at silencing an official who had launched an investigation into the disappearance of millions in state funds.

The forensic doctor who examined the body of treasury chief Aissatou Boiro after she was brought to the morgue Friday night said she had two bullet wounds to the chest and died of internal bleeding.

"She was hit by two bullets in the heart, and died from hemorraghing. The bullets were shot from a close distance, which makes it clear that they were intended to kill her," said the doctor at the Ignace Deen Hospital in Conakry, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the subject.

The government issued a statement which was broadcast on state television on Saturday evening, saying that Boiro had been killed by a group of men wearing military uniforms. Security forces have launched a manhunt to try to find and arrest the gunmen, the statement said.


This is what happens when corruption and lawlessness is allowed to continue. And its a perfect example of why we cannot tolerate it anywhere.