Mishcon's Culture vs Corruption Diary - July 2010
Welcome to the July edition of Mishcon's Culture vs Corruption Diary, the object of this diary is to provide businesses and their advisors with a snapshot of what has been happening in the world of corruption in the last month.
We make no judgement whatsoever as to the morality, legality or appropriateness of the conduct which forms the subject matter of this bulletin. We simply aim to bring these matters to the attention of those involved in the prevention, detection and investigation of fraud.
UNITED KINGDOM
Legal Services
A senior Crown Prosecution Service barrister, Sarfraz Ibrahim, has appeared in court to admit a charge of corruption, attempting to pervert the course of justice and misconduct in public office following allegations that the barrister shared a £20,000 bribe to drop a case against a man he believed to be guilty.
Steven Morris,
Guardian, 30 June 2010
Serious Fraud Office (SFO)
The SFO has said that it hopes to proceed with a deal to fine BAE Systems £30m in spite of judicial criticism of other agreements made to settle cases of suspected corporate corruption.
Michael Peel
Financial Times, 29 June 2010
WESTERN EUROPE
Government
The Italian opposition has accused Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of invoking a controversial new law in making his long-term loyalist, Aldo Brancher minister for Federalism with the sole aim of avoiding a criminal trial over allegations of corruption. The prime minister insists that the new law is necessary because he is a victim of unjust corruption charges.
Nick Squires
Daily Telegraph, 26 June 2010
AFRICA
Government
Raj Bhojwani, an associate of the late Nigerian leader General Sani Abacha, has been jailed by a Jersey Court having been accused of depositing £122m, raised by selling military vehicles to the Nigerian government at up to five times their actual price and then using the profit to pay bribes to top Nigerian officials, in a Bank of India account on the island after checking Jersey's bank secrecy laws.
Helen Pidd
Guardian, 28 June 2010
ASIA
Fishing
Japan has been accused over allegations of bribing the officials of six smaller nations to see if they were willing to use their votes on the International Whaling Commission to break the 24-year moratorium on commercial whaling. Japan denies attempting to buy the votes of IWC members.
Jonathan Landreth
Sunday Times, 13 June 2010
Mishcon de Reya
Mishcon's Culture vs Corruption Diary is published by the Fraud & Insolvency Group of Mishcon de Reya Solicitors. Widely recognised as the leader in the field of fraud investigations, the Group has extensive experience in conducting and/or project managing highly sensitive international investigations in respect of bribery and corruption allegations. The Group founded and runs both the Fraud Network, made up of international legal fraud specialists, and the Financial Risk Group, for risk and compliance officers.