India scores zero on bribery of foreign officials: Transparency Int'l

Country fails to open account in four years till 2017 on five metrics, bribery of foreign public officials not criminalised at all despite India being bound by UNCAC rules

Transparency International has said India did not take action against bribes given to foreign public officials by companies operating abroad and their related money laundering issue. 

Its 2020 report showed that India got zero points in four years till 2017 in five categories--investigations commenced, major cases commenced, other cases commenced, major cases concluded with substantial sanctions and other cases concluded with sanctions--assessed for this purpose by Transparency International.  

It further said bribery of foreign public officials is not criminalised at all in India, despite the fact that the country is a party to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) which requires it to do so. 

Ashutosh Mishra, country expert for India who contributed to the report, said if Indian companies go abroad and bribe foreign officials there, they can't be prosecuted in India because there is no law. 

The report said major exporters such as India, China, Singapore have an important role to play in tackling the supply side of corruption in international trade.

It recommended that India become a party to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, pass legislation criminalizing foreign bribery, enforce action against foreign bribery to the extent possible under existing legislation.