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Late last week The Sun's Whitehall Editor, Clodagh Hartley,
was arrested as part of Operation Elveden, the Scotland Yard
enquiry into payments made by journalists to public officials.
The Metropolitan Police have reported that the journalist is
being held, as a result of information provided to police by News
Corporation's management and standards committee. News
Corporation is carrying out an ongoing internal investigation into
alleged phone-hacking and corrupt payments to police and other
public officials.
A statement issued by the Metropolitan Police said that a
"37-year-old woman attended Bromley police station by
appointment and was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt
under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, suspicion of
conspiracy to cause misconduct in a public office, contrary to
common law and suspicion of bribery, contrary to the Bribery Act
2010".
This is the first high profile arrest of an individual under the
Bribery Act 2010. Individuals found guilty of an offence face
significant penalties. The maximum penalty for bribery is ten years
imprisonment and/ or an unlimited fine.
To date only one other person has been convicted of an offence
under the Bribery Act 2010; Munir Patel, an administrative officer
at Redbridge Magistrates' Court, was held to have taken
Ł500 by way of a bribe to 'get rid of a speeding
charge'. Interestingly, Patel was convicted after a News
International sting operation in which he was filmed accepting a
bribe. He became the first person convicted under the Bribery Act
2010 and was originally sentenced to six years. This sentence was
reduced to four years on appeal in May 2012.
This arrest puts the total number of arrests at 30, as part of
Operation Elveden, which is closely connected to Scotland
Yard's phone-hacking investigation, Operation Weeting.
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The Financial Times has reported that a review of the UK Bribery Act is set to be announced next month as the UK government seeks to reduce the cost of compliance for small- and medium-sized businesses.
We have pleasure in announcing the publication of our International Guide to Anti-corruption Laws, which provides an "at a glance" summary and comparison of the key criminal and administrative corruption offences in the 22 countries featured.
The Bribery Act has made the news again following the conviction of a would be taxi driver. Earlier this week, at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Mr Mawia Mushtaq became the second person convicted of an offence under the Bribery Act by attempting to bribe a Licensing Officer.
Rolls-Royce publically announced that it has provided information to the Serious Fraud Office in relation to bribery and corruption activities that have taken place overseas amongst its intermediaries.
The Crown Prosecution Service has announced that corporate manslaughter charges are to be brought against a mining company, under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007.
A discussion on when and if the Crown Prosecution Service should be able to take over and put a stop to private prosecutions.
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