On December 9, 2020, also known as International Anti-Corruption Day, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, designated three individuals and three entities, accused of corruption across several countries in Africa and Asia. The designations were made pursuant to Executive Order 13818, targeting those who participate in corruption and human rights abuses in accordance with the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman, is a Liberian official has offered bribes to multiples judges for favorable trial verdicts. Despite a recent acquittal in 2019, following an indictment by the Liberian government for his participation in a $950,000 bribery scheme, Sherman’s consistent acts of bribery over the years, show his propensity towards corruption and unlawful attempts to influence the Liberian Judiciary and Ministry of Justice. Sherman was designated by OFAC for being a foreign government official who is complicit in corruption related to bribery.
Raimbek Matraimov, is a former deputy of the Kyrgyz Customs Service, who used his prominent position to bribe customs officials in a scheme that ultimately laundered at least $700 million from the Kyrgyz Republic. Matraimov was designated by OFAC for being a former foreign government official who has been complicit in corruption related to bribery.
Finally, Wan Kuok Koi, also known as Broken Tooth, is a member of the Communist Party of China’s (CCP) Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and a leader in one of China’s largest criminal organizations, the 14K Triad, has engaged in a variety of criminal activities, including bribery, corruption, drug trafficking and human trafficking throughout China and the Republic of Palau. OFAC designated Koi for being a foreign person who is an official or leader of an entity whose members engage in corruption or bribery. OFAC also designated three entities that are owned or controlled by Koi, that are based in Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Palau.
As a result of these designations, all US property is blocked, and all transactions and dealings with these individuals and entities are generally prohibited. In addition, any entity in the US that is owned fifty percent or more by a sanctioned individual is also blocked.