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Afghanistan and Nigeria 'possibly most corrupt countries', Cameron lets slip Afghanistan and Nigeria ‘possibly most corrupt countries’, Cameron lets slip
(35 minutes later)
David Cameron has been overheard boasting to the Queen that the leaders of “fantastically corrupt” countries are coming to a summit he is hosting this week. David Cameron has been caught on camera telling the Queen that Nigeria and Afghanistan are two of the most corrupt countries in the world, during a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the monarch’s 90th birthday.
In comments that were caught by a microphone during a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday, the prime minister said Nigeria and Afghanistan were two of the most corrupt countries in the world. The prime minister made the embarrassing remarks before the government’s anti-corruption summit on Thursday, at which Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, will deliver a keynote address entitled “Why we must tackle corruption together”.
Speaking in front of the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow, and the cabinet minister Chris Grayling, Cameron said: “We had a very successful cabinet meeting this morning. We talked about our anti-corruption summit. We’ve got ... some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to Britain. Cameron was overheard telling the monarch that “leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries” would be attending the meeting, before singling out the two nations.
“Nigeria and Afghanistan are possibly two of the most corrupt countries in the world.” A spokesman for Buhari, who won elections last year vowing to fight corruption, said he was deeply “shocked and embarrassed” by the comments, which he assumed must refer to problems in Nigeria that pre-dated his presidency.
The Queen did not respond to Cameron’s comment, turning her head away while he was speaking. However, Welby, who has worked in Nigeria, then said of that country’s leader: “But this particular president is actually not corrupt.” An official in the Afghan embassy described the intervention as “unfair”, arguing the country had made important progress in this area.
Welby told the Queen that “he’s trying very hard”. The prime minister’s comments could also raise questions about aid payments to both countries, given that the UK spent £237m in Nigeria in 2014 and £198m in Afghanistan.
Bercow then cut in with: “They are coming at their own expense aren’t they?” In a pooled video feed, Cameron was heard telling the Queen: “We had a very successful cabinet meeting this morning, talking about our anti-corruption summit. We have got the Nigerians – actually we have got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to Britain.”
“Yes,” responded the prime minister, before adding: “Because it is an anti-corruption summit, everything has to be open so there are no closed door sessions, all in front of the press, so it could be quite interesting.” Speaking in front of the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, he continued: “Nigeria and Afghanistan – possibly two of the most corrupt countries in the world.”
Asked whether David Cameron regretted his comment, a Downing Street spokesman said: “Both leaders have been invited to the summit because they are driving the fight against corruption in their countries. The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with them as they do so.” The Queen did not immediately respond but Welby, who has worked in Nigeria when he was an oil executive, quickly cut in. “But this particular president is actually not corrupt,” he said, insisting that Buhari was “trying very hard”.
The spokesman declined to say whether the Nigerian or Afghan governments had contacted Downing Street following the prime minister’s remarks. As the bizarre scene unfolded, Bercow then asked jokingly: “They are coming at their own expense aren’t they?”
He made clear that the PM was aware that he was being filmed at the time he spoke, telling reporters: “The cameras were very close to him. There were multiple cameras in the room.” “Yes,” responded the prime minister, with a laugh, before adding that the summit could be interesting as everything would be done in front of journalists.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The royal household does not comment on private conversations between the prime minister and the Queen.” It is not the first time that the prime minister has been indiscreet over matters relating to the Queen. In 2014, he was recorded saying that she had “purred down the line” when he told her the result of the Scottish independence referendum.
A spokesperson for Welby said: “The archbishop has no particular view but supports the international anti-corruption summit to combat corruption in all walks of life.” Cameron’s official spokesman hinted that he might have realised he was being filmed this time. “The cameras were very close to him. There were multiple cameras in the room,” he said.
The leaders of both countries mentioned have acknowledged that they have problems with corruption. Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan president, and his Nigerian counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari, have contributed to a book, Against Corruption, being published by Cameron to mark the summit. The spokesman stressed that British aid money to Nigeria and Afghanistan is not paid directly to either government, and pointed out that both Buhari and Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani, had admitted to wide-scale problems in their countries.
In his essay, Ghani acknowledges that Afghanistan is “one of the most corrupt countries on Earth”. In a book, to be published on Thursday as the summit gets under way, Ghani admits that Afghanistan is “one of the most corrupt countries on earth” while Buhari says corruption is a “way of life” in Nigeria under “supposedly accountable democratic governments”.
Transparency International, a global anti-corruption organisation, publishes an annual corruption perceptions index, which ranks countries in order of how corrupt they are perceived to be. “Both leaders have been invited to the summit because they are driving the fight against corruption in their countries. The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with them as they do so,” he adds.
In the most recent index, published in 2015, Afghanistan was ranked in 166th place, above only North Korea and Somalia. Nigeria was in 136th place. However, Cameron’s comments triggered angry reactions. The spokesman for the Afghan embassy said: “President Ghani and his government since in office have taken major steps to fight corruption. Countering corruption is a top priority along security issues for the national unity government.”
Cobus de Swardt, the managing director of Transparency International, said: “There is no doubt that, historically, Nigeria and Afghanistan have had very high levels of corruption, and that continues to this day. Transparency International, which monitors corruption worldwide, said in its most recent index, published in 2015, that Afghanistan was the 166th least corrupt nation, above only North Korea and Somalia. Nigeria was in 136th place.
“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.” But Cobus de Swardt, the managing director of Transparency International, said that while it was true that the countries had high levels of corruption, both leaders had sent “strong signals” that they want things to change.
A spokesman for the Afghan embassy said the comments were unfair. “President Ghani and his government since in office have taken major steps to fight corruption. Countering corruption is a top priority along security issues for the National Unity Government. Others rounded on the British government, arguing that it needed to focus on its own challenges. Robert Palmer of Global Witness said the Nigerian and Afghan leaders “are not helped by the secrecy sold by UK tax havens or the army of lawyers and bankers from places like London willing to handle stolen money or look the other way – we must get our own house in order too”.
“We have made important progresses in fighting systematic capture in major national procurement contracts and are making progress on addressing institutional issues as well as issues related to impunity. Therefore calling Afghanistan in that way and taking bold decisions by NUG is unfair,” the spokesman said. uckingham Palace responded: “The royal household does not comment on private conversations between the prime minister and the Queen.”
The controversy led the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption, along with a cross party group of British MPs, to publish an open letter to the PM. Talking of the UK’s decision to open up public registers that show who really owns UK companies the parliamentarians write: “It has the potential to make the world a better place. But we are deeply concerned that this potential will be left unrealised because of one catastrophic gap: Britain’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. In a second embarrassment, the monarch was herself later caught on camera at a garden party making controversial comments about the Chinese government.
“We respectfully submit that if territories under British authority are left free to give safe harbour to publicly anonymous corporations, then Britain’s achievements and credibility in the global anti-corruption movement will be undermined.” She said that President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Britain last year had been a testing time for the police and told an officer it was “bad luck” that she had been in charge of security at the time. She also said she had heard the Chinese had been very rude to Britain’s ambassador to China during the trip.
Booker-winning Nigerian author Ben Okri told Channel 4 News: “I’m rather appalled and rather surprised that a leader of an important world nation should be making that kind of remark to the world. I think it sends a very wrong signal out to the world.” A spokesperson for Welby said that he had no particular view but supported the summit “to combat corruption in all walks of life”.