Welcome to our June Update A note from our Steering Committee
Welcome to the June edition of the Bribery Prevention Network bulletin, continuing our commitment to supporting Australian businesses in preventing, detecting, and addressing bribery and corruption.
This month, we bring you important updates and resources designed to help your business navigate the complex anti-bribery landscape. Read on below for recent legal developments, enforcement outcomes, new international initiatives and find practical tools to build your risk assessment.
Mapping potential corruption scenarios allows your company to proactively assess situations that could negatively impact your business.
The risk assessment matrix provides a practical tool for identifying typical situations where there is a risk of corruption. Assessing the likelihood of occurrence and the potential reputational impact can help identify potential corruption situations and determine which preventive actions should be taken to mitigate any impact on your company.
Controlling Fraud and Corruption Risk – Leading Practice Guide
The Australian Government is committed to tackling fraud and corruption, recognising them as serious challenges that impact individuals, businesses, and governments both in Australia and globally.
The purpose of this guide is to help Australian Government officials better understand the factors that lead to fraud and corruption, and provide advice on a range of strategies that entities can implement to mitigate the probability of these risks as well as the harm they cause for the public sector.
The BPN C-Suite Video Series, delivers critical information in bite-sized chunks on Bribery Prevention for C-suite executives and senior business leaders.
Learn why proactive policies, training, and monitoring are key to reducing risk, how global laws apply to your business, and why leadership commitment sets the tone for an ethical culture. Discover the importance of risk assessments to prevent bribery and how a well-implemented compliance program helps detect and address corruption.
Empower your organisation with practical strategies to lead with integrity.
TIA Article: “The costs of foreign bribery.” Foreign bribery carries serious costs for people, governments and businesses. With the US pausing the FCPA, global anti-bribery efforts face new challenges. Australian companies operating internationally should be alert to increased legal and reputational risks.
From penalties to lost shareholder value, the impacts of foreign bribery are far-reaching. “In 2024, under the FCPA the average sanction was US$141 million”.
Strong compliance systems and corruption controls are important for businesses to ensure they have adequate procedures in place.
Former Australian Border Force (ABF) officer, Jared Purcell, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on 17 April 2025 for intentionally making a false statement in a statutory declaration, unauthorised access to restricted data and providing false or misleading information.
Purcell was convicted and released by the Southport Magistrates Court on the condition he enter into a recognisance of $1,500 and a good behaviour of 9 months.
This prosecution is the eighth conviction in matters continued by the NACC since its establishment on 1 July 2023.
On 20 February 2025, the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 2025 (Cth) was assented to, introducing significant reform to commonwealth political donations laws. The new laws will soon be effective, as of 1 July 2026.
The Act introduces the following reforms:
Disclosure threshold will be reduced to $5,000 from the current $16,900
Expedites disclosure, with accelerated disclosure required immediately before elections
Introduces an accumulated donation cap of $50,000
Read the Australian Electoral Commission release here.
British, Swiss and French authorities have formed the International Anti-Corruption Prosecutorial Taskforce.
“We recognise that the threat [of bribery and corruption] is complex and international in nature and that success relies on us working closely and effectively together and building further on our strong existing relationships.”
The founders will invite other like-minded agencies involved in tackling international bribery and corruption to join the Taskforce.
Read the Founding Statement and Press Release here.
AFR Article: “The lawsuit is confidential, and the claim is not publicly listed. However, The Australian Financial Review has obtained details of the allegations filed on May 20 in which Mongolian authorities directly accuse Rio of participating in corruption and bribery.”
Australian Anti-Corruption Summit 2025, hosted by BPN Contributors, Transparency International Australia, marking 30 years of integrity leadership.
Bold Solutions for an Uncertain World will convene stakeholders to explore current and emerging challenges related to corruption — from money laundering and political finance to the governance of a just energy transition.
Why attend:
💡 Celebrate 30 years of anti-corruption advocacy in Australia
💡 Shape the next phase of policy reform and public trust
💡 Connect across sectors in meaningful, action-focused dialogue
💡 Equip yourself with global insights and local strategies
The Bribery Prevention Network is a public-private partnership that brings together business, civil society, academia and government with the shared goal of supporting Australian business to prevent, detect and address bribery and corruption and promote a culture of compliance. Read more here.
This newsletter is created for the anti-bribery community, by the anti-bribery community. Do you have news or stories to contribute to our next edition? Contact us at [email protected]
