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STR: Suspicious Transaction Report · Friday · 35 min

Kleptocracy: Exposing It is Not Enough

Why civil society, financial institutions and governments must connect their evidence and capabilities to dismantle kleptocratic networks. Kleptocracy is not simply corruption on a grand scale. It is a system in which stolen wealth is used to capture institutions, preserve political power and extend influence across borders. Exposing these networks is essential, but exposure alone rarely brings them down. In this episode of the Suspicious Transaction Report, Kinga Redłowska is joined by Zoë Reiter, Director of Combating Kleptocracy at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and Tom Keatinge, Director of the Centre for Finance & Security at RUSI. Together, they explore what it takes to detect, deter and dismantle kleptocratic systems, and why the work of investigative journalists and grassroots civil society must be connected to financial institutions, law enforcement, policymakers and international standard-setters. The conversation also examines cryptocurrency's dual role: providing kleptocrats with alternative ways to move wealth while creating opportunities for tracing illicit flows and supporting civil society operating under authoritarian regimes. From professional enablers and sanctions to blockchain analytics and the challenges of funding local investigators, the episode makes the case for a coordinated response that turns evidence into meaningful disruption.

0:00-35:35
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Why civil society, financial institutions and governments must connect their evidence and capabilities to dismantle kleptocratic networks.

Kleptocracy is not simply corruption on a grand scale. It is a system in which stolen wealth is used to capture institutions, preserve political power and extend influence across borders. Exposing these networks is essential, but exposure alone rarely brings them down.

In this episode of the Suspicious Transaction Report, Kinga Redłowska is joined by Zoë Reiter, Director of Combating Kleptocracy at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and Tom Keatinge, Director of the Centre for Finance & Security at RUSI.

Together, they explore what it takes to detect, deter and dismantle kleptocratic systems, and why the work of investigative journalists and grassroots civil society must be connected to financial institutions, law enforcement, policymakers and international standard-setters.

The conversation also examines cryptocurrency's dual role: providing kleptocrats with alternative ways to move wealth while creating opportunities for tracing illicit flows and supporting civil society operating under authoritarian regimes.

From professional enablers and sanctions to blockchain analytics and the challenges of funding local investigators, the episode makes the case for a coordinated response that turns evidence into meaningful disruption.

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