The Bribery Act has made the news again following the conviction of a would be taxi driver. Earlier this week, at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Mr Mawia Mushtaq became the second person convicted of an offence under the Bribery Act by attempting to bribe a Licensing Officer.
Mr Mushtaq is said to have offered the Licensing Officer bribes of £200 or £300 in exchange for a 'pass' on a private taxi licence test, having failed multiple times previously. The Licensing Officer subsequently informed his manager of the attempted bribe, who referred this matter to the police.
Mr Mushtaq was unanimously convicted at Minshull Street Crown Court and was sentenced to two months imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, and a two month curfew imposed from 6pm to 6am.
Not only are individuals being convicted under the Bribery Act, but international companies are also failing to comply with its provisions and suffering the consequences. Last week Rolls-Royce admitted concerns about bribery and corruption involving multiple overseas intermediaries to the Serious Fraud Office. In November Aberdeen drilling company Abbot agreed a settlement with prosecutors to the tune to £5.6million in respect of its corrupt practices overseas.
These recent activities show that the Bribery Act enforcement is gaining traction. The message is clear: compliance with the Bribery Act is not optional and prosecutors will target individuals and international companies alike for failure to comply.
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