Holder announces initiative to battle corruption in foreign states
By Jordy Yager - 07/25/10 03:08 PM ET

The U.S. launched a new initiative on Sunday aimed at battling large-scale public corruption in foreign states.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative at the African Union Summit in Uganda. In addition to tackling the lucrative field of public bribes, the new initiative is also aimed at recovering public money and redirecting it to its intended use.


As head of the Department of Justice, Holder said the U.S. has been assembling a team of prosecutors who will be devoted exclusively to the initiative. He emphasized that African countries must strengthen their judicial systems in tandem with the efforts to prosecute corrupt public officials.

“[I] know that prosecution is not the only effective way to curb global corruption,â€