Module 11: Corruption dilemmas
The sub-contractor may have made the offer honestly, with no intention of influencing you to improperly favour the sub-contractor in future bids. There is nothing intrinsically wrong in socialising in a business context. It is an accepted way of building trust and helping working relationships.
However, the obvious risk in this situation is that it is possible that the free entertainment may be intended to improperly influence a future decision of yours (and therefore is a bribe), or may be perceived by others as a bribe (which is reputationally damaging). Although the sub-contractor may claim that it is not intending to influence you, you are an important decision maker, and they are spending a lot of money on you. Why would they be doing that? It is unlikely that they are making the equivalent offer to junior personnel in your organisation who have no decision making powers.
Therefore, it is very important that you carefully consider whether or not to accept such an invitation.
In particular, is the entertainment sufficiently extravagant that:
So, even if an offer of this kind is not intended by the sub-contractor as a bribe, and even if you are sufficiently objective not to be influenced, for all the above reasons it may be preferable if the offer is refused.
As general guidance:
January 2025
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