- guardian.co.uk, Thursday November 20 2008 00.01 GMT
- The Guardian, Thursday November 20 2008
The government last night came under renewed pressure to clamp down on foreign bribery after the Law Commission, the expert body tasked by ministers to investigate the subject, recommended tougher laws for the offence.
For years, the government has been criticised for failing to pass strong legislation to stop payments by British companies to foreign officials and politicians, in return for contracts.
The report from the independent commission, due this morning, said existing laws were “both outdated and in some cases unfit for purpose”.
The commission recommended new offences which they believe will be more effective in curbing corruption.
Anti-corruption campaigners are pressing ministers to commit themselves to new legislation, pointing to polls which show people around the world believe Britain has become more corrupt.
Britain has secured only two foreign bribery prosecutions since 1997, when it signed up to a global treaty on overseas corruption. The treaty is policed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, whose inspectors said last month that the government lacks the political will to tackle the crimes.
In 2000, Jack Straw, the then home secretary, promised to introduce a law to bring Britain in line with the treaty. The justice secretary, as the government’s “anti-corruption champion”, is now responsible for responding to the Law Commission’s new report.
Among other measures, the commission recommends a new offence in which company executives can be prosecuted if they “negligently failed to prevent the bribery”.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
