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Bribery Act: One year on and a lack of prosecutions
01/07/2012
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...wrongdoing. The Digest also shows that while businesses have been concentrating on monitoring their contact with public officials, three of the five cases involved ‘business-to-business’ bribery.
This is despite a perception among UK executives that bribery and corruption rarely happens on home soil. Our recent Global Fraud Survey found that only 14% of UK respondents in 2012 thought that corrupt practices happen widely, compared to 39% in other countries.
The 2012 cases highlight the exposure of individuals to prosecution for bribery and corruption as 11 sentences were handed down. Four of the five cases involved individuals being prosecuted.
“There has not been the headline corporate prosecution under the Bribery Act that many foretold but there have been some interesting and instructive cases," Jonathan Middup continued.
"The cases we have seen clearly show that bribery and corruption is happening on home soil, that private sector bribery is a major risk for companies, and that individuals are exposed.
“Those who point to the lack of prosecutions under the Bribery Act should be cautious. We are most often asked to undertake bribery and corruption investigations for incidents which happened years ago. Businesses not taking the right action now to encourage a culture of integrity are only likely to be storing up difficulties for the future.”
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