A culture of corruption feeds on itself

AT the heart of corruption lies perpetrators who committed similar crimes before and have never been held accountable for their actions.

Repeat offending is a vicious cycle that knows no end for those benefitting from ill-gotten gains. Corruption, by nature, has been frequently likened to an epidemic — it spreads rapidly and affects numerous individuals.

Within the culture of corruption breeds a vehement antagonism of whistle-blowers and those who refuse to subscribe to illicit behaviour.

The unfortunate reality is that corruption manifests itself in minor acts that cause major consequences on a daily basis, such as: an employee omitting to include information in a company’s books; a person in a position of authority failing to disclose a conflict of interest; a group of individuals appropriating small amounts of funds, etcetera.

The only true deterrent to corruption is improved accountability for unlawful practices via the civil law (i.e. remedies compelling compensation for damages) and criminal law (i.e. strict fines and sentencing).

Until corruption is curtailed, society stands to gain nothing from those who abuse their powers for personal agendas.