Corruption charges can lead to prison sentences, fines and loss of business opportunities. These offences may also lead to companies being blacklisted by authorities, and have long-term harm to a company’s reputation.
Bribery involves a person in an official position acting voluntarily in breach of trust to gain an advantage for themselves or another. This advantage doesn’t necessarily involve cash changing hands and can take the form of gifts, hospitality and expenses, loans or access to assets. It can also include ‘inducements’ such as requests or demands for favours, donations and services.
Corruption is normally considered to be criminal in most countries and it covers a broad range of activities, from taking or offering bribes, illicit enrichment (keeping more money than disclosed in income), cartels, money laundering and other forms of extortion and fraud. It can occur on a national, state or local level and is generally punishable by imprisonment, fines and/or forfeiture of property.
If you want to take legal action against corrupt behaviour then you will need to have evidence that proves the corruption took place. You will need to meet a standard of proof known as ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ and this means that you will need to have a high level of evidence gathered. For more general tips on how to gather evidence see the article: How Can I Gather Evidence?
Federal public corruption cases are prosecuted very seriously. This is because they cut to the heart of government function and there is a great deal of focus and resources devoted to these kinds of investigations and prosecutions.