The risks of involvement in corruption

For the reasons stated in this Module, there is a significant risk that, if you work in the infrastructure sector, you could encounter corruption on one or more occasions.

The consequences of any involvement in corruption are high:

• you could lose your job, be prosecuted, be fined, and go to prison
• your organisation could be prosecuted, fined, and barred from being awarded public sector contracts
• there could also be a financial and reputational cost to both you and your organisation.

However, while the risks are clear and obvious, the practicalities of dealing with any corruption you encounter are not always so straightforward:

• you may work for an organisation which pressurises you to obtain maximum commercial benefit for the organisation regardless of the ethical risks and consequences
• clients or competitors in the sector in which you are working may routinely act corruptly, leaving your organisation at a competitive disadvantage if you do not do the same
• you may not be sure at what point a normal commercial act such as submitting a contract claim for payment may cross the threshold from legitimate act to corrupt act
• you may be unsure whether a gift or entertainment in a business context may be seen as corrupt
• a public official may try to extort an illegal payment from you in return for issuing your organisation a permit it is entitled to receive
• you may not be sure who to turn to for advice to if you witness corruption, and whether or not you should report it.

The purpose of this Module is to try to provide you with a greater level of understanding of corruption so that you are empowered to act appropriately if you encounter corruption.

Note that this Module is only a brief summary.  Further detail is provided in Modules 2 to 11, and also in GIACC’s online Resource Centre.