One in four is asked for bribes

One in four companies has been approached to pay a bribe in the last two years, according to research.

thelondonpaper, May 14th 2008

One in four 'asked to pay bribes'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7399678.stm

Almost one in four companies has been approached to pay a bribe to win or retain business in the last two years, a survey has indicated.

The survey of 1,186 executives in 33 countries by Ernst & Young also suggests that 18% had lost business to a competitor prepared to pay a bribe.

Corrupt practices were perceived to be most prevalent in mining, with fewer instances in energy and banking.

Just over a tenth of UK executives said their firm had been asked for a bribe.

This compared with 16% in Germany and 10% in France.

"Recommendations of best practice in anti-bribery compliance will require companies to take a much more comprehensive view of the way bribery and corruption affects their business," said John Smart, UK head of fraud investigation at Ernst & Young.

Corruption was more widespread outside Europe.

Only 6% of respondents in France and Germany said their organisation had experienced at least one incident of bribery or corruption in the last two years.

In the UK, this was 13% but still below a global average of 24%.

Almost half of those surveyed in the mining sector said that corrupt practices are prevalent, compared with 31% and 30% in the banking and energy industries.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7399678.stm

Pub landlord attacked by Amy Winehouse's husband 'accepted £200,000 bribe to save him from jail'

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 2:51 PM on 10th June 2008

A pub landlord who was beaten up by Amy Winehouse's husband accepted a £200,000 bribe to try to save his attacker from jail, a court heard today.

Despite suffering a fractured cheekbone in the June 2006 beating by Blake Fielder-Civil - Winehouse's husband - and Michael Brown, James King was ready to be bought off, the court was told.

With the help of Kelly and Kennedy - King, 36, of Risley, Derbyshire, struck a deal where he would "effectively throw the (court) case and not turn up" so that Fielder-Civil and Brown would have to be found not guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent, according to prosecutor Sean Larkin.

He told London's Snaresbrook Crown Court that Kelly and Kennedy acted as middle men helping to broker the deal. But the plot was exposed by the Daily Mirror which was contacted by Kelly and King.............

Complete article here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1025492/Pub-landlord-attacked-Amy-Winehouses-husband-accepted-200-000-bribe-save-jail.html

Winehouse plays £1million gig for Abramovich

http://thelondonpaper.typepad.com/thelondonblog/2008/06/winehouse-plays.html

13/06/2008

Roman Abramovich smoothed the way with the Russian authorities for Amy Winehouse to play a £1m private gig in Moscow last night.

The billionaire Chelsea boss flew the troubled diva out in his private jet yesterday for a storming show at the opening of The Garage, an arts and cultural centre run by his stunning girlfriend Dasha Zhukova.

As well as laying on the jet, a fleet of staff and cuisine for the one-hour gig, he sorted out any potential visa problems for the 24-year-old star.

“Abramovich made sure there were no obstacles to Amy coming into the country and performing,” said a source.

“He had to convince political authorities that Winehouse would behave herself and not send out a bad message from the cultural centre.”

After entertaining the 300-strong crowd with an hour-long show against a backdrop of gold lettering spelling out her name, Amy chatted with Abramovich, 41, former model Zhukova and dignitaries at the bash.

Two weeks ago in Lisbon, at the Rock in Rio Lisboa festival, she had told the crowd she “should have cancelled”, tripped over and apparently screamed at her band.

But her spokesman Chris Goodman said: “It was a great gig. Amy was on terrific form and everyone was happy with the show.”