Media

The case of Gedvydas Vainauskas, the head of media group „Lietuvos Rytas“ and Antanas Zabulis, who are suspected of trafficking of influence, reaches the court. Vainauskas could have had allegedly asked a leader of a party „Tvarka ir Teisingumas“ Rolandas Paksas, current member of the European Parliament to influence officials of an institution coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment.

Oman’s authorities have carried out a string of journalist arrests in recent weeks signalling a growing crackdown on freedom of expression in the country, said Amnesty International.

Court of Appeal of Lithuania rules that Vilnius County Court has returned the case of Gedvydas Vainauskas and Antanas Zabulis, suspected of trafficking of influence, to the prosecutros on the right grounds. The case had reached the court before the accused could have appealed the decision of the prosecutor to the judge.

Searches by Special Investigation Service in relation with MG Baltic scandal have been conducted not only in the workplace of Vytautas Gapšys, Member of Parlament , but also in companies belonging to MG Baltic: one of the major Lithuanian TV chanells, LNK and in one of the biggest construction companies UAB „Mitnija“ . In addition, seaches were conducted in MG Baltic headquarters, in the workplace of the executive director of LNK.

Twelve persons out of nineteen have been found guilty in digital television criminal case after the decision of Riga Regional Court judge who began to revise the case on the 28th of August 2008. Seven of them have been sentenced with imprisonment and six fined. The digital television criminal case was related to the Digital Radio and Television Center of Latvia (DLRTC) and Kempmayer Media Limited daughter' s firm Kempmayer Media Latvia agreement which prevented a number of stages for the implementation of digital television and delivery of different specific hardware for digital broadcasting. The total costs of the project were estimated in many tens of millions of lats. The criminal case was investigated and prosecuted by the Criminal Law Article 317 of exceeding the official authority, by Article 319 of public officials inaction, Article 177 of fraud and Article 195 of the laundering of criminal money. In this criminal case by the Criminal Law Article 177 of fraud in large scale accused and sentenced with inprisonment of three years Harijs Krongorns worked at former's Prime Minister's Andris Šķēle family firm "Company guidance and consulting" as financial consultant. Also, the former chief Jurģis Liepnieks of Bureau of Andris Šķēle was adjudged guilty with 72 000 euros fine of involvement in fraud of a large scale and money laundering. Former General director of Digital Radio and Television Centre of Latvia Guntars Spunde was sentenced with one year in prison and fined of 28 800 euros. The Court found guilty the former chairperson of the board of "The Independent Television of Latvia" Andrejs Ēķis in participation of a large-scale fraud and fined him with 43 200 euros.The final penalty of two years in prison and fine of 36 000 euros was also set to the lawyer Jānis Loze for the involvement in the large-scale fraud and money laundering. Tax consultant Uldis Kokins was also sentenced about the same infringememnts with inprisonment of two years and fine of 18 000 euros. Former "Kempmayer Media Latvia" board members Andrejs Zabeckis, Jānis Zips and Jānis Svārpstons were also sentenced with inprisonment and fined in large-scale fraud and money laundering and also in exceeding official authority based on previous agreement. The former public trustee Adrians Boldans of Radio and Television Centre of the State of Latvia (LVRTC) was fined with 18 000 euros - he was found guilty of public officials inactivity in cases where a public official has been mencenary intentions. Also for the same infringements other former public trustees of LVRTC Didzis Jonovs and Ojārs Rubenis were fined of 18 000 euros. Former Chairman of the Board of LVRTC Māris Pauders, who previously had got mentally ill, exempted from criminal liability. The Regional Court of Riga justified two former board members of DLRTC Jānis Plūme and Alfrēds Janevics and a person related to politician Vilis Krištopāns - a former employee of his firm Gints Bandēns. Former board member of "Kempmayer Media Latvia" Juris Ulmanis and lawyer Mārtiņš Kvēps were also justified.

Revelations of letterbox companies: Whistleblower "John Doe" fears reportedly for his life.

Former employees from leading positions of the Hungarian State Opera are charged with mismanagement of public funds and embezzlement. They entered into groundless contracts with a foundation, which delivered the work to an entrepreneur and kept a large part of the money.

Vorarlberger News' charity "Ma Hilft" got defrauded of 176.000 Euro donations by an employee. The newspaper fired him directly and reported the case to the prosecutor.

The new Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte says corrupt journalists are a legitimate target for murder. According to Duterte, a lot of the murdered journalists in the Philippines were corrupt and got in trouble after turning against their own bribers.