Federal Republic Research Articles

Identifying transaction laundering red flags and strategies for risk mitigation

Purpose Transaction laundering has become an increasingly intricate and rampant form of financial misconduct in the age of digital commerce. This research paper conducts an exhaustive examination of this issue, categorizing the various techniques criminals use to highlight areas where existing risk management practices could be further refined. Amid escalating regulatory scrutiny of both financial and nonfinancial entities, the paper stresses the implications of not meeting regulatory standards. As a novel contribution, this study advocates for a shift in risk management strategies. It argues that entities under obligation should harness advanced technological methods to counter transaction laundering challenges effectively. The study serves as a relevant guide for online businesses aiming to strengthen their measures against transaction laundering. For future work, the potential effectiveness of technology-driven countermeasures deserves further scrutiny. Design/methodology/approach This study used a conceptual legal research method, using a library-based doctrinal legal research approach with a conceptual legal perspective, drawing from existing literature. This study reviewed primary and secondary legal sources, including case law and provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amended) Act, 2012, and the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013 (as amended). This study also assessed the provisions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004. This research further incorporated a blend of archival and secondary legal sources. This study conducted comparative analyses, examining the legal frameworks of Canada, the UK, Hong Kong and China alongside Nigeria to identify potential lessons for enhancing Nigeria’s legislation concerning money laundering and terrorism financing. This study also assessed problems and derived insights from the study’s findings. This research method was chosen to establish the credibility of the findings regarding the issues of money laundering and terrorist financing. Findings The analysis uses a comprehensive network dataset, encompassing ties among individuals and businesses in the Netherlands from 2005 to 2019. It integrates administrative data, including family ties, shared bank accounts and employment history, with corporate information and ownership relations from the Chamber of Commerce. Criminal data related to police interventions, legal convictions and suspicious money laundering transactions are linked to these networks. This unique approach overcomes the scarcity of large empirical datasets in criminological research, offering valuable insights into criminal network behavior and dynamics. Understanding how criminal networks adapt to anti-money laundering policies aids regulatory authorities in designing more effective and efficient measures while also enhancing the tools available to enforcement authorities for detection and investigation. Originality/value AML policies are often criticized for their high costs relative to the perceived benefits. This paper's method avoids dark number estimations and relies on high-quality administrative data. The theoretical contribution includes an examination of specialization, competition and collaboration within criminal networks. The empirical aspect uses a unique dataset and emerges as a methodology for evaluating the effects of AML policy measures using temporal cluster analysis.

TBE In Germany

The beginning of research on TBE in Germany was influenced and inspired by the results and developments of TBE research in the former Czechoslovakia. There, TBE virus was detected in the Czechoslovak Republic in 1948. In Germany, the first evidence of the presence of TBE virus was found by Sinnecker and his group in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR).1 The first virus strains were isolated also by Sinnecker’s group in the early 1960s.2 In the former Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) TBE research started with research on TBE virus in the region of Franconia by Scheid and Ackermann.3,4 In the region of Lower Franconia a virus was isolated which was called “Zimmern Virus” after the location of the isolation.5 Unfortunately, all these virus strains were lost but it can be assumed that they all belonged to the Western (European) subtype of TBE virus.

Demonstration of participation in the German balancing power market using a large‐capacity hybrid battery storage system

AbstractAs one of NEDO's international demonstration projects, a large‐capacity hybrid battery storage system which consists of two types of battery cells with different charge‐discharge characteristics was constructed in the state of Lower Saxony in the Federal Republic of Germany. By using the hybrid battery system has a lithium‐ion which has an advantage in short time and high rate, and a sodium‐sulfur battery (NAS) which has an advantage in long time and low rate, the tender participation in the balancing power market in Germany had been executed. The hybrid battery storage system could successfully drive and provided services for primary and secondary control reserves, elimination of power imbalance, and reactive power injection, as well as a combination of these services.

Sustainable Development and National Integration: A Catalyst for Enhancing Environmental Law Compliance in Nigeria

This study delves into the pivotal roles played by sustainable development and national integration in advancing legal compliance, environmental protection, and sustainability within Nigeria. Employing a doctrinal and conceptual legal research approach, it meticulously examines pertinent literature, international exemplars, and conducts an exhaustive analysis of primary and secondary legal sources, including the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Climate Change Act of 2021, and relevant international instruments. An effort has been made to examine extant sustainable development practices, presenting an encompassing snapshot of the nation’s legal, environmental, and sustainability apprehensions, while also addressing the attendant challenges. Moreover, it undertakes a comprehensive evaluation of Nigeria’s prevailing legal framework concerning environmental protection, delving into its potential for long-term sustainability. The findings resoundingly underscore the potency of sustainable development as a strategic avenue for achieving legal compliance, environmental protection, and enduring sustainability. Importantly, the study unveils that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) find manifestation within Chapter II of the Constitution, albeit in a non-justiciable form, thereby impeding the stride toward their attainment. Nevertheless, it accentuates the necessity for an approach that meticulously factors in Nigeria’s distinctive context and specific requisites, thereby fostering effectiveness through national integration, policy execution, effective communication, and collaborative synergy across stakeholders within both the public and private domains. Essential to the realization of SDGs’ objectives is a synergistic collaboration amongst the government, academia, and non-governmental organizations. This study illuminates the latent potential of sustainable development and national integration as efficacious strategies for propelling legal compliance, environmental protection, and sustainability. It proffers a recommendation for the assimilation of innovative paradigms that have proven successful in mitigating environmental degradation elsewhere. Ultimately, the study ardently advocates for comprehensive overhauls to systematically address Nigeria’s complex entanglements encompassing legality, environment, and sustainability. Furthermore, the study ardently champions the elimination of the provision stipulated in section 6(6)(c) of the 1999 Constitution as a crucial step towards realizing the SDGs’ objectives within Nigeria.

Women’s Participation in Local Governments of Nepal: Assessing Local Elections of 2017 and 2022

The Federal Republic of Nepal was established after the second people's movement in 2006. The movement was for more political rights after the 1990 political change in the country. As a result, through the incorporation of inclusive principles into Nepal's constitution, women's representation has been mandated across all sectors of the state, including at the local level. This paper aims to examine the legal provisions and practices concerning gender-balanced seat allocation in key municipal positions, such as chief and deputy chief, chairperson and vice-chairperson, in which at least one occupant must be female. It seeks to understand the reasons behind the political parties nominating women candidates for these positions and whether they are considered reservations for women. Using primary field visits and secondary sources, descriptive analytical and content analysis methods were used to make conclusions about the representation of deputy chief and deputy chairperson in the local elections of 2017 and 2022. The study shows that inclusion is emphasised in Nepal's constitution and other legislation, which require women to be represented in all fields. In the 2017 and 2022 local elections, women held 92% and 74% of the deputy positions, respectively. However, neither politically nor constitutionally, the office of deputy chief is solely reserved for women. The analysis sheds light on the motivations behind political parties nominating women candidates for these positions and explores whether they are perceived as reservations for women.

Transitional Justice in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia in a Comparative Framework

This thesis aims to enhance transitional justice studies with a focus on the Balkan peninsula, by providing a comparative analysis of the extent of transitional justice mechanisms in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. With the fall of military dictatorships in Latin America in the 1980s, the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the emergence of new states in the 1990s, the concept of Transitional Justice (TJ) saw a significant rise in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This was further propelled by the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), the prolonged breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992) as well as the fall of the communist dictatorship in Albania (1990). The emergence of new states and the state-building processes that followed the political and social changes also brought new challenges and conflicts, although they marked the end of significantly repressive political regimes. Considering that the implementation of TJ has undergone several changes over time and is dependent on the different settings in which it was employed, it is necessary to conduct extensive comparative research to determine the extent to which TJ differs in post-communist and post-conflict nations. The study has developed three main hypotheses: (1) The limited achievement of lustration law in Albania has conditioned the current status of transitional justice; (2) The state-building process has contributed to the evolution of Transitional Justice in Kosovo; (3) The power-sharing process as a TJ pillar in North Macedonia has fueled TJ in the country. By utilizing a mixed methods approach, data was collected through elite interviews, conducted in the three countries with 44 representatives from academia, politics, media, and civil society. To conclude, two hypotheses are fully upheld in terms of the limited achievement of lustration law and its implications with the current status of transitional justice in Albania; and the contribution of state-building in Kosovo to the evolution of transitional justice. The third hypothesis related to the power-sharing process in North Macedonia as a fueling mechanism for the evolution of transitional justice is partially upheld. Received: 13 February 2024 / Accepted: 30 April 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024

Cultural Narratives of Charles V and Spanish Imaginaries in West Germany during the Franco Dictatorship

ABSTRACT: This article aims to contribute to research on the international relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Spain after World War II, when the Franco dictatorship experienced a process of rehabilitation. In order to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon, we need to complement existing studies on the history of diplomatic relations with approaches to the sphere of cultural imaginaries. This article, intended as a particular case study, analyzes the resignification of Francoism in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) via the heritage and tourist narratives associated with one historical figure shared by both nations: Charles V.

Unemployment-Inflation Relationship in Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany has been one of the historically remarkable countries socially and economically. In this context, one of the outstanding issues is undoubtedly the correlation between unemployment and inflation, which is at the intersection of economy and social policy. Therefore, in the study, the unemployment-inflation trade-off in Germany was examined with the help of macroeconomic data in the context of the Modified/Original Phillips Curve, which explores the unemployment-inflation relationship. The empirical study method is time series analysis, and the monthly data set covers the period from January 1992 to April 2023. According to the study's findings, no causality relationship could be detected between unemployment and inflation variables in Germany in the period, neither in the long run nor in the short run. Therefore, it shows that the German economy does not have to put up with the inflation problem in the fight against unemployment and the unemployment problem in the battle against inflation. In this respect, it would be beneficial to thoroughly examine the German labour market structure and monetary policy strategy in the literature.

Hans Jonas: The Last German Philosopher and His Jewish Challenge to Modernity: Affirming Life

Abstract Victorio Hosle called Hans Jonas “the last German philosopher.” Jonas’ Memoirs connect changing philosophical priorities with devastating life events. The shock of learning of his former mentor, Heidegger’s, affiliation to National Socialism, his exile from Germany and his mother’s death in Auschwitz, made the conceptual universe of German Idealism, Husserl and Heidegger, seem nihilistic and akin to a Gnostic denigration of worldliness. The brutal wartime realities exposed a callous removal from nature and any meaningful humanism. After soldiering in the war with “Maccabean rage,” he subsequently created his philosophical biology of organism, one which respected the corporeal, metabolic basis of life. His consequent innovations in Environmental and Medical Ethics had an enormous impact on the German scholarly world. Jonas retained a lifelong attachment to German culture and “saved” German philosophy by making critical amendments. Later in life he wrote in German, spent a sabbatical year in Germany, received the medal of honor from the Federal Republic of Germany and honorary doctorates from several German universities. The “German” Jonas brought a respect for ontology and nature to a philosophy that was prone to sterile abstractions. The life-affirming “Jewish” Jonas restored an ethical mandate for responsibility for the future of the planet and humankind to a bereft ethics.

Czech and Slovak in the mirror of Czech-Slovak relations in the 19th and 21st centuries

Czech and Slovak are two close West Slavic languages spoken by two close peoples - Czechs and Slovaks. The socio-historical circumstances led to the emergence of a special coexistence and the creation of a specific passive bilingualism, which was applied in the so-called semi-communication. That semi-communicativeness and passive Czech-Slovak bilingualism was strengthened by the joint broadcasting of Czechoslovak Radio and Czechoslovak Television. After 1989, a new period of democratic development of Czech and Slovak society and language begins. The return to democracy, a new social and economic situation, and new international contacts caused a whole series of changes in both languages as well. Expressions connected with the communist past gradually disappeared from both languages, and expressions that had ceased to be used in the 1950s returned to active use in both languages. On January 1, 1993, based on a law of the Federal Assembly, the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic ceased to exist and two new independent states appeared on the map of Europe - the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. The paths of the two nations parted peacefully, but they did not stop communicating with each other. Even today, Czechs and Slovaks get along well without major problems, although the younger generations, who were socialized linguistically only after the division of the former Czechoslovakia, may have certain difficulties in communication. To a large extent, Czech-Slovak passive bilingualism and semi-communicative competence persist. However, some research shows that especially the young and the youngest generation of Czech and Slovak speakers understand the second language less and less. During the 20th century, both Czechs and Slovaks went through dramatic twists of fate, they came together and parted ways, but they were always actually together. And Czech and Slovak naturally reflected these twists. They entered the 20th century as languages not quite fully legal and despised by many (Czech was only a regional language, Slovak within Hungary a language intended for gradual Magyarization), they entered the 21st century as official languages of two separate equal states and as official languages of the European Union.

Zapadni krediti Jugoslaviji 1980. godine: Na putu bez povratka

The importance of external debt emerged as a critical component of Yugoslavia’s crisis in the late 1970s and early 1980s.The article comprehensively examines the underlying factors contributing to the accumulation of significant debt, analyzes the government’s reactive measures to address the financial situation, and looks at the state-level strategic initiatives undertaken by the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) in 1980. These attempts sought to protect external liquidity by obtaining extra loans from prominent Western nations, engaging with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and negotiating for financial aid from Kuwait.

Reperkusije petooktobarskih promena 2000. godine u svetlu dokumenata, memoara i svedočenja

Drawing upon documents, memoirs, testimonies, and scholarly literature, this study elucidates the dynamics underlying the October 5th alterations in 2000 within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia. „The Fifth October“ refers to a sudden shift in political authority driven by compounded socio-political, economic, and societal tensions, alongside external influences. These multifaceted political and security upheavals, culminating on October 5, 2000, exhibited characteristics akin to a „colored revolution“, signifying a change in power dynamics without altering the prevailing political structure or formal power mechanisms. While temporal detachment affords a more impartial inquiry, the analysis contends with entrenched political narratives, oscillating between glorification and complete denial of the significance of October 5th.

Clinical Legal Education and the Future of Pro-Bono in Nigeria: A Guarantee for Access to Justice for Accused Persons Awaiting Trial

The idea of access to justice is strongly related to the doctrine of the rule of law, and the effectiveness of a nation’s judicial system is mostly evaluated by its citizens' access to justice. Human rights are guaranteed and protected by instruments including the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). However, when these rights are not protected (fair hearing, access to court) owing to financial constraints and lack of access to legal counsel, justice cannot be guaranteed. The large number of accused persons awaiting trial in Nigeria is ascribed to several factors, including missing files, inability to post a bond or provide surety, delay in the DPP's advice to the police over which case to pursue, the police's failure to promptly investigate and prosecute, among others. In Nigeria, despite the voluntary legal services provided by the government, lawyers, and clinical law students, the legal system towards indigents does not abate. This article explores the problems and potential solutions to providing increased legal aid services to accused persons awaiting trial in Nigeria. An interdisciplinary approach was adopted in this study, where primary data was gathered from prison visits made by Nigerian Law School, Yola Campus Law Clinic to the Yola and Jimeta medium security correctional centres. The barriers to accessing legal aid in light of the available legal aid services are critically examined here.

Legal status and regulation of the German language in the Federal Republic of Germany

ABSTRACT Despite being an official language of several countries in Central and Western Europe, German is not formally recognised as the official language of the Federal Republic of Germany. However, in certain situations the use of the German language, including the spelling rules, is subject to state regulation (by acts of Federal Parliament or by administrative decisions). This article presents the content of this regulation, its scope, and the historical context in which it was adopted.

The system of administrative courts of the Federal Republic of Germany: organization and functioning

The article is devoted to the organization and functioning of administrative courts of general and special jurisdiction in the Federal Republic of Germany. Administrative justice in Germany is an independent branch of judicial power. It is represented by administrative courts of general and special jurisdiction and is separated from constitutional, general courts and courts of labor disputes.
 The system of administrative courts of general jurisdiction in Germany covers three levels: the administrative courts, the higher administrative courts of the states and the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig. The administrative court is the court of first instance for most administrative proceedings. The higher administrative courts of the federal states are the appellate and cassation instance of the administrative courts. Each federal state has a Supreme Administrative Court, the states of Berlin and Brandenburg share a Supreme Administrative Court, which, with the exception of Bavaria, Saxony- Anhalt and the city-states, are not located in the capital of the state to emphasize their independence from the administration in terms of location. Higher administrative courts are courts of first instance in cases of judicial review of laws and regulations, prohibition of associations by state bodies, and approval of implementation of certain infrastructure projects. The Federal Administrative Court, located in Leipzig, is the court of appeal and cassation on matters of law. The legislature also gave the Federal Administrative Court first-instance jurisdiction in public law disputes between the federal government and non-constitutional Länder, bans on mergers by the Federal Minister of the Interior or approvals for certain infrastructure projects. In these cases, the Federal Administrative Court has jurisdiction of both first and last instance.
 A feature of administrative justice in Germany is the presence of special courts of administrative justice – financial and social courts with appropriate organization and functioning. The issue of the status of judges of administrative courts, non-professional judges, representatives of public interest, judicial administration, competence and jurisdiction was considered.

История немецкого телевидения как социокультурного и дискурсивного феномена

Television is a global phenomenon with national peculiarities. This article introduces a chronological and comparative analysis of the development of television in West and East Germany. A systematic view of this phenomenon involves both technical and social aspects. From a technical innovation available to the privileged, it turned into a mass medium that performs an integrative function by shaping and broadcasting the current discourse. The research objective was to find out the specifics of television in Germany and correlate the global trends with the national context. The XX century erased the borders between such incompatible phenomena as dictatorship and democracy, and all these phenomena affected the content of TV shows, people’s attitude to television, its new genres, social functions, etc. The author revealed five stages in the development of German television. Stage I (late XIX century – 1945) was the age of technical discoveries, attempts at their practical implementation, and the early regular broadcasting during the period of National Socialism. Stage II (late 1940s – 1950s) marked the restoration of television broadcasting and the parallel development of television in the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. Stage III (1960s –1970s) clarified the institutional framework and social functions of television. Stage IV (1980s – mid-1990s) saw the emergence of new broadcasting technologies and commercial TV channels, as well as the collapse of the Eastern bloc and the reunification of Germany. Stage V (since 1990s) is connected with digitalization.

Towards Decolonial Praxes in Critical Peace Education for Sustainable Futures

This paper examines decolonial praxes in critical peace education using philosophical framework of African Conversational School. In the process, it examines: Conversational School of African Philosophy, critical peace education for sustainable futures, the importance of decolonial praxes, conceptual framework for critical peace education for sustainable future, Nigerian educational system and education policies of Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union (AU). The paper theorizes that decolonial praxes in critical peace education should be pursued with a combination of local and global cultures (glocalization) for sustainable futures since both cultures have positive contributions to human life. Therefore, the conclusion and suggestions of this paper are partly based on this theoretical position. Introduction of decolonial critical peace education as a separate subject and as objectives in other subjects is the main suggestion and conclusion made.

Countering hostile sabotage and reconnaissance groups by the National Police of Ukraine units in the context of martial law

The article is devoted to the study of ways to improve the tactical and special readiness of police officers to counteract sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the border areas and in the areas of active hostilities. The author identifies additional powers of the police under the martial law regime, including the following: conducting joint operations against sabotage and reconnaissance forces of the aggressor (enemy) and paramilitary or armed groups which are not regulated by the laws of Ukraine.
 To address the objectives of the study, the analysis of the sources of international and national law providing for the use of sabotage and reconnaissance groups by the parties to the conflict is carried out, the essence and hierarchical structure of these groups are revealed, and the objects against which the use of sabotage measures is prohibited are identified. The article also provides a list of objects of the warring parties which, according to international humanitarian law, may be subject to damage.
 The organisational features of the basics for defensive combat by the units of the ground forces of certain countries, in particular, the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America, are considered. According to the military doctrine of these countries, the purpose of defence is to disrupt the enemy’s offensive actions, inflict maximum losses in manpower and equipment, and gain time to concentrate forces in the chosen direction for the offensive.
 The article describes the signs that can be used to identify members of Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups. These signs are the following: the execution of certain actions, including conducting intelligence activities, destabilising the situation by committing criminal offences (explosions, murders, assaults, robberies) under the guise of domestic crimes, spreading false information and discrediting the authorities during direct communication with the local population.
 The tactical methods of combating sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the territory of the controlled border area are highlighted. The experience of counter-sabotage measures by the security and defence forces of Ukraine, one of the elements of which is an ambush, is studied. 
 A model of sabotage protection and its use in the educational process of higher education institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is proposed, which provides for a comprehensive combination of command and staff exercises with tactical and special exercises in two stages and involvement of cadets in ensuring public safety and order in border settlements.

Сравнительный анализ социальной политики СССР и Германии в хрущевский период (1953–1964 гг.)

The study of Soviet social policy is important on the basis of a number of aspects, the main one being the fact that social welfare in historical scholarship and public opinion is generally regarded as the most successful period of Soviet society. Moreover, the period under analysis is of particular interest, as it covers the period of reconstruction after World War II and the early stages of the Cold War. This comparative analysis considers the social policy pursued by the USSR, and in West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany), since East Germany was strongly influenced by Soviet policy during this period. The experience of the USSR and FRG during this period can be useful for research and development of modern approaches to social policy and its adaptation to current conditions.

Indonesian Travel Documents and the ICAO Document 9303: Principles, Security, Technology, and Infrastructure

The issuance, printing, production, and distribution standards of Indonesian travel documents refer to international standards of travel documents and the Regulation of Minister of Law and Human Rights. However, significant issues have risen that the Indonesian passport holders without the bearer’s signature who applied for German visa were rejected by the Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany in Jakarta. Besides, the stolen and lost Indonesian Passport policy is fragmented between the Indonesian National Police, Immigration offices and the Interpol. Using the document analysis and policy evaluation, this paper investigates the issuance standards of Indonesian travel documents under the ICAO Document 9303 about Travel Documents and the policy and management of the stolen and lost Indonesian travel documents. This study shows the Indonesian travel documents have not fully complied with the ICAO Doc 9303 in which the bearer’s signature is a compulsory either in the biodata page or in additional pages. Data of stolen and lost Indonesian Passport have not been recorded in the Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database. We propose the infrastructure of the security, cooperation, and management of the SLTD, and all Indonesian travel documents must be redesigned and equipped with the chip features.