ABSTRACT
The artist and writer Ashleigh Brilliant once said, ‘I either want less corruption, or more chance to participate in it’. The somewhat cynical and double-edged sentiment in his observation neatly summarises the attitude of Western society in general, and its construction industry in particular. The spectre of bribery and corruption has plagued society around the world for centuries in every walk of life. It represents, in the words of the song, ‘the oldest, yet the latest thing’. Although often perceived as being a problem endemic in the developing world, in recent years even mature democracies such as the United Kingdom have experienced their fair share of corruption that has warranted criminal investigation. The now infamous ‘Cash for Peerages Row’ was an issue almost a century ago when David Lloyd George’s Liberal Government of the day faced accusations of engaging in corrupt practice, which led to the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 being enacted.1
