Ireland failing to tackle corruption in export countries

Ireland is among a number of exporter countries accused of doing little or nothing to stamp out corruption in the business world.

A report issued by Transparency International on Thursday reveals that just four out of 41 countries who signed up to the OECD anti-bribery convention 15 years ago are actively investigating and prosecuting companies that cheat taxpayers when they bribe foreign officials to win contracts or to obtain licences and concessions.

Ireland, which accounts for approximately 1.1 per cent of global trade, is included in a list alongside 21 other countries accused of having little or no enforcement. The 22 countries collectively represent 27 per cent of world exports.

Transparency International’s report reveals that no cases or investigations commenced in Ireland between 2010 and 2013. Moreover, just one case, which commenced in 2007 is currently being investigated. A further three possible cases are being assessed.

The OECD Convention, which established legally binding standards to criminalise bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions, was adopted in 1997 and entered into force on 15 February 1999.

Ireland was criticised by the OECD Working Group on Bribery in a report last year for not having prosecuted a foreign bribery case since the offence came into being.

According to Transparency International, the four leading enforcers (Germany, Switzerland, the UK and the US) completed 225 cases and started 57 new cases from 2010-2013. The other 35 countries who have signed up to the OECD convention completed 20 and started 53. The study shows that 20 countries have not brought any criminal charges for major cross-border corruption by companies in the last four years.

Canada is the only country to show significant improvement since last year’s report, having beefed up its foreign bribery law and started several investigations.

“For the anti-bribery convention to achieve a fundamental change in the way companies operate, we need a majority of leading exporters to be actively enforcing it, so that the other countries will be pressured to follow suit,” said Transparency International chairman José Ugaz. “Unfortunately, we are a long way from that tipping point, and that means the vision of corruption-free global trade remains far away.”

Transparency International said enforcement is low because investigators lack political backing to go after big companies, especially where the considerations of national economic interest trump anti-corruption commitments. Investigators also often lack the resources to investigate complex white-collar crime, it said.