The Anti-Corruption Plain Language Guide - Transparency ...

Grand Corruption
Definition
Acts committed at a high level of government that distort policies or the central
functioning of the state, enabling leaders to benefit at the expense of the public good. See
‘corruption’, ‘petty corruption’ and ‘political corruption’. 39
Example in practice
In Kenya, the Anglo Leasing scandal, which dates to 2002, reportedly involved 18 corruption
offences in the government procurement of security-related services. Many of the
companies that won the contracts were fictitious or over-billed the Kenyan government for
goods and services that often were non-existent. It is estimated that approximately US$ 1
billion might have been lost in these deals.
In 1996, two former South Korean presidents, Roh Tae-woo and Chun Doo-hwan, were
found guilty in a corruption case linking them to the chaebols (large family-owned
businesses with strong political ties), which had paid off top political leaders in exchange
for unfair business advantages.
Relevant links
—— CIPE: The Costs of Grand Corruption.
www.cipe.org/publications/ert/e22/E22_05.pdf
—— U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre: Grand Corruption in the Regulation of Oil.
www.cmi.no/publications/publication/?3034=grand-corruption-in-the-regulation-of-oil
—— Water Integrity Network: Lesotho - A Precedent for Prosecution of Grand Corruption
Committed by Multinational Companies.
www.waterintegritynetwork.net/content/download/4128/77172/file/5_BestPract_LHWP_Le
sotho.pdf
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TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL PLAIN LANGUAGE GUIDE - JULY 2009