Opinion | OCCRP's Sham Investigation Thoroughly Exposed

Many in India have long suspected that the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a media outlet claiming a presence everywhere through its network of partners, operates as a tool for vested interests at various levels. These suspicions have been bolstered by a deeply researched investigation by the French investigative media portal Mediapart, in collaboration with Drop Site News (US), Il Fatto Quotidiano (Italy), Reporters United (Greece), and the German public broadcaster NDR (which controversially censored its own report at the last minute).

In an exhaustive report titled ‘The Hidden Links Between a Giant of Investigative Journalism and the US Government', Mediapart has exposed that OCCRP's claims of being "totally independent" are, at best, misleading. The report meticulously details how the organization came into existence and for what purposes. It highlights how OCCRP's management has positioned it in a state of structural dependence on its financial backers, leading to alignment with their agenda. OCCRP, described by its co-founder Drew Sullivan as “the largest investigative reporting organization on Earth,” operates with an annual budget of €20 million.

The exposé reveals that OCCRP was established “thanks to the financial support” of the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, and, notably, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). These agencies contribute approximately half of OCCRP's budget and hold veto power over the nomination of key personnel in the organization. Additionally, controversial billionaire George Soros's Open Society Foundations, alongside the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Ford Foundation, and similar entities, form another critical bloc of OCCRP's funding sources.

Naturally, such funding structures come with strings attached, influencing the nature of OCCRP's investigations and the reports it produces. In India, OCCRP has attempted to target the nation's polity and economy, albeit unsuccessfully, through agenda-driven investigations such as its reports on Pegasus spyware and the Adani Group.

BJP's IT Cell chief, Amit Malviya, described the Mediapart report as “explosive”. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), he stated: “A French investigative media's report reveals that OCCRP's credentials are compromised, their funding and hiring controlled by the ‘Deep State'. In the last few years, OCCRP has put out reports on Pegasus, among others, and relentlessly targeted India Inc, the Adani Group in particular. These reports first landed up at the Congress HQ and Rahul Gandhi championed them with full gusto, holding the Indian Parliament and public discourse to ransom, on more than one occasion. During the same period, Rahul Gandhi frequently visited the western countries and pleaded their legislators and agencies to intervene in India's internal matters. It is now quite evident that Rahul Gandhi is an agent of the Deep State and a George Soros stooge.”

While Malviya's comments may appear political, they resonate with recent events. Each time OCCRP released a report targeting India, such as the Pegasus exposé, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party seized upon it to create significant political uproar. Following the Pegasus allegations, the Congress and its allies disrupted parliamentary sessions, filed petitions in the Supreme Court, and sought to tarnish the Modi government, as well as Indian security and intelligence agencies. Rahul Gandhi even claimed his phone, along with those of opposition leaders, media personnel, and others, had been compromised by Pegasus spyware.

However, when individuals were asked to submit their phones for investigation, most refused. Among the few who complied, many had wiped their devices clean of data. The Supreme Court eventually dismissed the allegations due to lack of evidence, deeming the claims baseless.

A similar situation arose with OCCRP's report on the Adani Group. Despite efforts to create a stir, the report failed to generate any significant impact on the public, investors, or the establishment. This was primarily because it recycled allegations that had already been investigated and dismissed.

Nevertheless, Rahul Gandhi and his ecosystem persisted in trying to keep the narrative alive.

However, much to the dismay of the report's publishers and the Congress Party's supporters, investors—big and small, both domestic and international—continued to place their faith in the Adani Group. Mediapart's exposé on OCCRP sheds further light on the organization's funding and affiliations, quoting USAID officials: “I'm very proud to say that I think OCCRP is one of the best achievements that USAID has made in the field of democracy and governance”, said Mike Henning, senior advisor with USAID's Europe and Eurasia Office. His colleague Shannon Maguire, in charge of USAID's dealings with the OCCRP, commented: “We're proud that […] the US government is the first public donor to OCCRP. […] But we're also aware and mindful of how uncomfortable sometimes the relationship can be” for a media organization.

According to the Mediapart report, since its inception, OCCRP has received at least $47 million from the U.S. government. Additionally, it has secured $1.1 million from the European Union and $14 million from six European countries: the United Kingdom ($7 million), Sweden ($4 million), and the remainder from Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia, and France (whose foreign affairs ministry contributed $100,000 last year).

The investigation calculates that between 2014 and 2023, these government contributions accounted for 70% of OCCRP's annual budget, with the U.S. alone providing 52%. In 2023, Washington funded the NGO with $11.7 million, representing 53% of its total expenditures that year.

Notably, the report highlights that this funding is not entirely unconditional. “There are strings attached,” admitted USAID's Mike Henning. Shannon Maguire elaborated that the agreement between USAID and OCCRP is a “cooperative agreement” featuring a “substantial involvement clause.” This clause grants USAID the authority to influence OCCRP's “annual work plan” and veto the appointment of “key personnel” with every new funding contract.

Since the majority of OCCRP's funding comes from U.S. authorities, it is unlikely to investigate issues involving those funding sources. The same holds true for other Western nations contributing to its budget.

Congress strategists should closely examine this report and consider whether it is prudent for the party and its leader, Rahul Gandhi, to rely on or promote anti-India reports from Western institutions. Such actions risk further eroding the credibility of the Grand Old Party.

A recent example is Rahul Gandhi's fixation on the U.S. prosecutor's allegations against the Adani Group. This stance has caused significant divisions within the INDI Alliance, with key members like the TMC, SP, and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) openly distancing themselves from the Congress position.

(The author is Consulting Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author