Politically Exposed Person (PEP) Weekly Digest – Volume 161

161st PEP Weekly Digest:

Introducing the 161st edition of The PEP Weekly Digest, where we present to you the most recent updates and news on the global political stage.

Recent and upcoming elections influence the worldwide political landscape in eight nations, slated between Jun 14, 2026, and Aug 30, 2026. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

Argentina President Javier Milei Appoints Diego Santilli as New Chief of Cabinet

One noteworthy event has occurred in Argentina, President Javier Milei announced the appointment of Interior Minister ​Diego Santilli as the new chief of cabinet on a post on his X account.

Santilli replaces Manuel Adorni, who resigned from the position following corruption allegations, and ​will take on his new role.

The ​reshuffle comes as Milei’s popularity slides amid corruption ⁠allegations and growing friction within his cabinet.

An accountant ​who comes from the center-right PRO party founded by ​former president Mauricio Macri, Santilli previously served as deputy chief of the City of Buenos Aires, congressman, senator, and security minister ​of the City of Buenos Aires.

Czech President Petr Pavel Appoints Miroslav Hlavac as Chief of General Staff of Czech Army

Shifting our focus to Czech Republic, President Petr Pavel appointed Miroslav Hlavac as the new Chief of General Staff of the Czech Army at Prague Castle. Hlavac will replace Karel Rehka on 1 July.

Lieutenant General Hlavac, who has been First Deputy Chief of Staff since mid-2023, took over the post at the traditional ceremonial parade to mark Armed Forces Day at Prague-Vitkov. The cabinet approved Hlavac’s nomination in May.

He previously said the completion of the heavy brigade was one of his priorities as chief of staff. Hlavac has been in the military since the 1980s and has held a number of command and staff positions throughout his career, primarily in the artillery and ground forces.

South Korea President Lee Jae Myung Appoints Han Seong-sook as Prime Minister

In South Korea, Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced that President Lee Jae Myung has approved the appointment of Han Seong-sook as prime minister.

The appointment is scheduled to take effect on July 1st, making Han the second female prime minister in Lee Jae Myung’s administration, succeeding Kim Min-seok, and the 50th prime minister in the country’s history.

The South Korean National Assembly approved the appointment of Han Seong-sook as prime minister with 166 votes in favor and one invalid vote out of 167 members present from the ruling and pro-government parties. The vote took place in a plenary session on June 30, despite a boycott by the People Power Party (PPP), the main opposition party, which argued that Han was unqualified for the position.

Han Seong-sook was serving as Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Startups. With her appointment as Prime Minister, Han becomes the first woman to hold the position in South Korea in 20 years.

SEC Fines Merrill Lynch $7.5 Million for Alleged AML Reporting Failures

In the realm of regulatory affairs, the Securities and Exchange Commission has hit Bank of America’s investment subsidiary Merrill Lynch with a $7.5 million fine for allegedly failing to report suspicious activities.

Merrill’s use of a BofA anti-money-laundering program landed it in hot water, according to the regulator. Software that assigned risk scores to potentially suspicious transactions, the SEC said, led certain activities to go unreported — even as “internal analyses” showed they should have been flagged.

Merrill, which neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing, agreed to pay the civil penalty.

Delhi Court Sentences Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh to Four Years in Celebratory Firing Case

Shifting our attention to India, a Delhi court on Saturday (July 4, 2026) sentenced Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh, convicted in a 2018 case in which a woman was killed in celebratory firing, to simple imprisonment for four years and slapped a fine of ₹25 lakh.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne pronounced the substantive portion of the sentence orally.

“The convict is sentenced to 4 years simple imprisonment under Section 304 Part II of the IPC and 2 months imprisonment under the Arms Act,” he said.

Judge Gogne said that Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Bihar’s Sahebganj, will also pay a compensation of ₹25 lakh to the family members of the victim.

Earlier on Friday (July 3), Singh had urged the court to release him on probation, arguing that he had no intention to cause death and had an otherwise unblemished record as a public representative.

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