Diagnosing Corruption in Ethiopia - Ethiomedia

216 Diagnosing Corruption in Ethiopia
Table 5.4 (continued)
Potential forms of corruption
• Lawyers or clients purchase false testimony from civilian or
expert witnesses.
• Parties offer or accede to bribes to influence how cases are
assigned.
• Lawyers or clients offer or accede to bribes or other
considerations to affect decisions on pretrial detention
and bail.
• Lawyers asks clients for money to “pay off” the judge
or prosecutor but instead pocket the funds.
• Public defenders solicit fees from defendants; “pro bono”
defenders solicit fees from clients.
• Lawyers or clients offer or accede to bribes or other considerations
about scheduling of events to either rush or slow
down cases.
• Lawyers or clients offer or accede to bribes or other
considerations to affect responses to motions to
eliminate evidence, exclude witnesses, or dismiss parts
of complaints.
Trial and appeal • Political or higher judicial authorities direct judges as
to how to rule.
• Political authorities instruct public defense lawyers (or private
attorneys) to mishandle cases.
• Political authorities or higher-level officials direct judges to
accept or not accept appeals or direct rulings.
• Political authorities or parties engage in jury tampering (if
juries are used).
• Judges “sell” judgments or other preferential
treatment to parties.
• Public officials or political authorities pressure or bribe
witnesses.
• Police or bailiffs take bribes to not bring witnesses (or
defendants) to trial.
• Lawyers or clients offer or agree to pay court staff to “lose”
files.
• Lawyers or clients offer (or agree) to pay to delay or
accelerate issuance of written opinions (which may be
delayed for a long time).
• Private defense attorneys accept bribes from interested
nongovernmental parties to mishandle cases.
• Court staff accept or request bribes to show judgments
to parties (or offer to sell an outcome already
determined by judge).
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