Global anti-corruption network, Transparency International, has defended Nigeria and Afghanistan which the United Kingdom Prime Minister, David Cameron, described as ‘fantastically corrupt’ countries.
In a statement titled, ‘Transparency International responds to Cameron comments regarding Nigeria, Afghanistan and UK Summit’, the organisation said Nigeria was sincerely fighting corruption and the UK anti-corruption summit was a step in the right direction.
The organisation, however, said corruption was also affecting the UK as many of its overseas territories were notorious for corruption.’
The British Virgin Islands which is a British overseas territory, greatly featured in the Panama Papers due to its reputation as a notorious tax havens.
The statement, which was issued by Mr. Chris Sanders, read,
“There is no doubt that historically, Nigeria and Afghanistan have had very high levels of corruption, and that continues to this day. But the leaders of those countries have sent strong signals that they want things to change, and the London Anti-Corruption Summit creates an opportunity for all the countries present to sign up to a new era. This affects the UK as much as other countries: we should not forget that by providing a safe haven for corrupt assets, the UK and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are a big part of the world’s corruption problem.”
