With one telephone call to the media, one video on YouTube, one letter to the right public official, a corrupt company can be brought to its knees by a whistleblower.
In the post-Enron era, whistle blowing – the act of exposing fraud, waste, abuse or other misbehaviour in a company or organisation – is on the rise. In the United States, for example, more than US $8 billion has been recovered as a direct result of whistleblowers’ actions. Whistle blowing can be an effective way to deter and detect corruption both in the private and public sectors and it provides better information flows, which increase the chances of successful prosecutions in corruption cases. But in order for whistle blowing to be an effective tool to fight corruption, legislation and clear processes are essential.
Transparency International has helped whistleblowers in many ways, including recognising and honouring their actions, and lobbying for stronger legislation to protect them against retaliation. In addition, TI has set up whistleblower hotlines and encourages responsible organisations to promote whistle blowing as an integral part of risk management. But even with this work, much remains to be done to ensure whistleblowers do not become an endangered breed of corruption fighters.
See full Press Release.
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