Ten things you never knew about... corruption

The world’s first Tackling Corruption Together conference has begun in London but was the Prime Minister right in naming Afghanistan and Nigeria as “possibly the two most corrupt countries”?

1. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, Afghanistan comes 166th out of 168 counties, exceeded in corruption only by North Korea and Somalia.

2. Nigeria was only in 136th place.

3. The least corrupt countries were found to be Denmark, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand.

4. The United Kingdom was in 10th place, equal with Germany and Luxembourg.

5. It is estimated that around one trillion US dollars is paid in bribes each year worldwide.

6. Both Nigeria and Afghanistan have signed the UN Convention Against Corruption. Seventeen countries have not signed it.

7. “Corruption is nature’s way of restoring our faith in democracy.” (Peter Ustinov)

8. So far this year, the term “corruption scandal” has been used 279 times in the UK national press. Last year the figure for the same period was 140.

9. The tax havens of the British Virgin Islands and Panama were not invited to the global Conference.

10. “Corruption wins not more than honesty.” (Shakespeare, Henry VIII)