MANILA, Philippines—A former senior counsel of the US Department of Justice has cited the importance of giving incentives to reward companies that cooperate with law enforcement in fighting corruption and, on the other hand, of issuing threats to investigate those that fail to come forward with information regarding corruption. Office of the Ombudsman or Asian Development Bank building Adam Lurie, guest lecturer at the 4th Integrity Lecture Series organized by the Office of the Ombudsman at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) last week, spoke on the importance of tapping private sector participation in the government’s fight against graft and corruption. Lurie also cited the importance of the use of wiretap devices, of access to financial documents or bank records, and the adoption of whistle-blower laws as critical tools for US law enforcement. Zero-tolerance policy In his lecture entitled “The Vital Role of Government in Encouraging Private Sector Participation and Cooperation in Anti-Corruption and Complex Enforcement,” Lurie discussed how American companies adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards bribery and corruption. He said the United States government developed a compliance and ethics program that initiates due diligence within a company and promotes an organizational culture of commitment to compliance with the law. The program also defined what are acceptable gifts to public officials, he said. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Teresita Herbosa, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, deputy mission director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Reed Aeschliman, and Makati Business Club chair Ramon del Rosario Jr. served as panel reactors Read More …
