Protect your business, comply with laws and effectively address bribery and corruption.
This collection of resources proposes steps to take when instances of bribery or corruption occur, or when there are near misses. Develop your business’ understanding of what has occurred and promote a culture of action, self-reporting, remedy and organisational learning.
Self-reporting is a significant first step in addressing suspected foreign bribery. This Guideline is designed to provide companies with information about how self-reporting will be taken into account by the CDPP when determining whether or not to commence a prosecution, and highlights the reasons why a company may choose to self-report including to comply with directors’ duties and limit liability. Information about early guilty pleas is also provided.
Foreign bribery is a serious offence attracting significant penalties. Under section 70.2 of the Criminal Code, individuals face a fine of up to AUD$2.2 million and 10 years imprisonment for the bribery of foreign public officials. Companies face even larger fines including up to 10% of their annual turnover. There are also offences for related misconduct, such as false accounting and money laundering.
The Bribery Prevention Network held a side event at the Africa Down Under Conference on critical legislative, judicial and policy updates in the anti-bribery and corruption space that will have implications for Australian businesses operating at home and in Africa.
The session highlighted practical tools and resources for Australian business to prevent, detect and address bribery and corruption and promote a culture of compliance.
United States (US) authorities investigate and prosecute foreign bribery that takes place outside of the US, including where US citizens are involved, where payments are in US dollars and where companies are 'issuers' in US capital markets. This policy sets out the US Department of Justice's policy for giving significant discounts in penalty and circumstances in which authorities may not prosecute. Scroll down to view.
In 2015 Standard Bank PLC entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Serious Fraud Office in the United Kingdom to pay penalties of over US$25 million and US$7 million of compensation in connection with its role in an equity raising in Tanzania. The case highlights the risks of using agents to help win government contracts.
Authorities in the United Kingdom (UK) can investigate and prosecute foreign bribery that took place outside of the UK. This includes where UK citizens are involved, if some of the conduct occurred in the UK or for foreign companies that 'carry out business or part of a business', or are listed in the UK. This portal puts you in touch with the correct authorities in the UK if you wish to report foreign bribery. An A-Z of company cases is included.
Exporters need to be aware of the risks of bribery and corruption in international transactions and requirements to comply with laws in multiple jurisdictions. Bribery committed outside Australia can be captured under Australian laws and have serious consequences. Export Finance Australia provides useful links to assist exporters in understanding their obligations to comply with relevant laws against bribery and corruption.
This news story reports on the 2017 case where three individuals pleaded guilty and were convicted of conspiring to bribe an Iraqi foreign public official to secure infrastructure contracts for their construction company. One, a middleman who facilitated the bribe, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. The other two, directors of the company, were sentenced to imprisonment for three years and four months and fined A$250,000 each.
This case study of the AWB class action examines allegations that can be made when a company does not report suspected corruption. Bribery and corruption allegations can have serious consequences for companies, including fines, loss of business and reputation, loss of licenses and inability to recover payments. For listed companies, those potential consequences may be material enough to need to be reported to the ASX.
In 2019 the Serious Fraud Office in the United Kingdom (UK) entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with a small UK resources sector company concerning bribery in South Korea. The company was required to disgorge its profits from the bribery but did not receive a penalty because of its small size and the fact that it had thoroughly investigated and self-reported the issues.
The United States (US) Department of Justice has an extensive track record of enforcing foreign bribery matters, including against companies that are not registered in the US. This site shows the Department of Justice's foreign bribery enforcement track record.
The United States (US) Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) is the regulator for companies that are listed in, or raise capital in, the US. It frequently brings enforcement action against companies for 'books and records' offences related to foreign bribery under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This resource includes an annotated list of enforcement actions under this Act.
Suspected bribery of foreign public officials can be reported to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). This fact sheet tells you how. Companies that discover foreign bribery and do not report to the AFP may face increased liability for maintaining a corporate culture that tolerates bribery. Companies that report their own conduct can receive discounted penalties (and may not be prosecuted at all).
Part of a comprehensive toolbox on human rights duties developed for the Federal Institute of Sustainable Development (Belgium), this resource offers an accessible introduction to operational-level grievance mechanisms. Learn how such mechanisms can support your business to identify potential human rights risks and impacts stemming from your business operations. This resource includes extensive links to useful grievance frameworks and mechanisms. Published in English, French and Dutch.
This easy to read resource explains the importance of operational-level grievance mechanisms for businesses and offers good practice guidance on effective grievance management. While specific to the mining and metals sector, this guidance is applicable to other sectors. The use of case studies, a glossary and infographics makes this resource an excellent entry point to learning about effective operational-level grievance mechanisms.