1. House Report 95–640, 95th Congress, 1st Session, US House of Representatives states that “[m]ore than 400 corporations have admitted making questionable or illegal payments. The companies, most of them voluntarily, have reported paying out well in excess of $300 million in corporate funds to foreign government officials, politicians, and political parties. These corporations have included some of the largest and most widely held public companies in the US; over 117 of them rank in the top Fortune 500 industries. The abuses disclosed run the gamut from bribery of high foreign officials in order to secure some type of favorable action by a foreign government to so-called facilitating payments that allegedly were made to ensure that government functionaries discharge certain ministrial [sic] or clerical duties. Sectors of industry typically involved are: drugs and health care; oil and gas production and services; food products; aerospace, airlines and air services; and chemicals.” Available at http://10.173.2.10/criminal/fraud/fcpa/history/1977/houseprt.html (accessed on 1 March 2010).
2. For more information on TI visit http://www.transparency.org (accessed on 1 March 2011).
3. According to Huguette Label, Chair of TI “[t]he BPI provides evidence that a number of companies from major exporting countries still use bribery to win business abroad, despite awareness of its damaging impact on … ordinary communities.” See the Bribe Payers Index, available at http://www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases/2008/bpi_2008_en (accessed on 1 March 2010).
4. Corruption