St Edmundsbury Borough Council welcomes the Bribery Act
The Bribery Act 2010, which came into force on the 1 July 2011 amends the law against corruption by introducing new offences relating to bribery. They are:
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Offences of bribing another person (that is giving, promising or offering a bribe)
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Offences related to being bribed (that is requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting a bribe)
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Bribery of a foreign public official
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Failure of an organisation to prevent bribery
It also provides for prosecutions and heavy penalties against those breaching the legislation:
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An individual guilty of an offence is liable to a conviction in a magistrates court of imprisonment for a maximum term of 12 months, or to a fine not exceeding £5000, or to both; and
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Conviction in a crown court could lead to imprisonment for a maximum term of ten years, or to an unlimited fine, or both.
In respect of bribery, it is unacceptable to:
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Give, promise to give, or offer a payment, gift or hospitality with the expectation or hope that a business advantage will be received, or to reward a business advantage already given;
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Give, promise to give, or offer a payment, gift or hospitality to a government official, agent or representative to 'facilitate' or expedite a routine procedure;
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Accept payment from a third party that you know or suspect is offered with the expectation that it will obtain a business advantage for them;
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Accept a gift or hospitality from a third party if you know or suspect that it is offered or provided with an expectation that a business advantage will be provided by us in return; and
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Retaliate against or threaten a person who has refused to commit a bribery offence or who has raised concerns.
Geoff Rivers, St Edmundsbury Borough Council Chief Executive:
"The Bribery Act 2010 amends the law against corruption. Guidance has been produced by the Ministry of Justice to help commercial organisations comply with their responsibilities under the Act. (For the purposes of the Act, the council is classified as a 'commercial organisation'.) Ministry of Justice Guidance (PDF 390Kb)
Dealing with fraud has a huge impact on any organisation. To date, the council has encountered very little fraud or corruption, thanks in great part to a culture of awareness and zero tolerance approach towards fraud and corruption, including bribery, as set out in our Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Strategy" Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Strategy Statement Revised 2011 (PDF 93Kb)
