Extortion - Overview

Extortion is a criminal offence.  In general terms, extortion is where someone demands money or other benefit:

• in return for not inflicting personal harm or damage, or
• in return for performing a service that is properly due.

If the victim of the extortion provides the money or other benefit, then the victim may become liable for bribery or similar offence.

The victim of the extortion is likely to have a defence to bribery if they made the payment because they feared imminent death or personal injury if they did not make the payment.

These extorted payments are called by many names:  “facilitation payment”, “grease payment”; “tea money” etc.  The payments are normally quite small.