29446L Craig (news) Haiti, Iraq rated as most corrupt (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From:  Dan Craig


(excerpted)
For the complete article, click here:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/BUSINESS/11/06/corruption.survey.reut/index.html


 Haiti, Iraq rated as most corrupt

*BERLIN, Germany* (Reuters) -- Iraq, racked by violence since the 2003 U.S.-led 
invasion, and impoverished Haiti, Myanmar and Guinea are ranked as the most 
corrupt countries in the world in a new survey.

Finland, Iceland and New Zealand are ranked as the least corrupt, with Denmark, 
Singapore and Sweden just behind.

Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) ranks 163 
countries based on perceived levels of corruption among public officials and 
politicians in its 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, was ranked last, just below Iraq, 
Myanmar and Guinea, reflecting what TI said was a high correlation between 
violence, poverty and corruption.

"When you have high levels of violence, not only does security break down, but 
so do checks and balances, law enforcement and the functioning of institutions 
like the judiciary and legislature. If all that is under strain the very system 
that works to prevent corruption is undermined."

Haiti is plagued by armed gangs despite the presence of U.N. forces brought in 
after the 2004 ousting of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Just ahead of Haiti and Iraq at the bottom of the rankings, stood Sudan, 
Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Bangladesh.