Public admission by the government of the United Kingdom that key information was withheld from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) working group on bribery is a blow to the success of the OECD’s anti-corruption convention, Transparency International (TI), the global coalition against corruption, said today.
The UK government must ensure full disclosure of information on the UK-Saudi Arabia Al Yamamah defence contract that is relevant to the OECD’s special review of UK compliance with the convention, the anti-corruption group said. TI also called for the investigation to be immediately reinstated.
As a signatory of the OECD anti-bribery convention, the UK is bound by its requirement to prosecute bribery of foreign public officials.
“The credibility and future enforcement of the OECD anti-corruption convention is under threat by the actions of the UK government,” said Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International. “The convention’s success depends on effective implementation, strict enforcement and the courage of governments to stand up to political pressures and do the right thing.”
See full Press Release.
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