Addicted to underhand ‘perks’

Bribery and coercion are a form of corruption. These involve money or gift-giving that alters the behaviour of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined as the offering, giving, receiving or soliciting of any service or item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of a public or legal duty. The bribe is bestowed to influence the recipient’s conduct to induce or influence his actions. Many types of bribes exist. Even awards and honours have been used as a form of favouritism, bribery and corruption.

But there is another aspect of corruption. It is like an addictive drug. Persons begin by taking a very mild drug and then move on to stronger ones, thus becoming so addicted that it will be very difficult to withdraw from its use.

On the same basis those who accept bribes become so used to the additional income, to the underhand “perks” that they will not be able to do without. Having started with a “bit on the side” the corrupt must move on and on, accepting ever more bribes and of higher value until he becomes so addictive that no psychological assistance, or even punishment, will make him stop.

There is the adverse sociological effect in that certain persons, companies, parties, organisations or corporations will become so used to offering bribes that they would not know any longer how to compete in an open and democratic world. In turn, their actions will incite, provoke and motivate others to follow suit. Thus, bribery becomes the order of the day, an epidemic, a way of living. The worse effect would be that the few not involved in some form of bribery (corruption) will find that they cannot live or operate. They would be seen as a danger to the system.

In the book of Jeremiah, written some 600BC, the prophet wrote about how the wicked lay in waiting and set snares and traps. He accuses those who overpass the deeds of the wicked as they do not judge the cause; but the right of the just and the needy they do not consider. Later, he declares that the wicked wanted to eliminate him for exposing their sins and they devised strategies against Jeremiah. They set out to smite him with their tongue and not give heed to any of his words.

So it is today: whistleblowers are castigated and very few countries give them protection. The US, Canada, the UK and Australia have strong laws but, obviously, not in Catholic and holy Malta. In Malta, every person is a saint and therefore there is no need for whistleblowers.

The UK had in 2010 enacted a strong Bribery Act (www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/23). UK International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said: “It is vital that whistleblowers should be able to report their concerns with impunity.”

Will any government in Malta ever dare to enact a truly strong law and, thus, minimise the perceived corruption that puts us in line with many Third World countries? Our present laws do not seem to have achieved any success. I doubt it, as the majority seem to have fallen so deep into the quagmire that, like in Jeremiah’s days, there does not seem to be any chance or hope of redemption.