Corruption
Senior 4 · General and Religious Studies
Corruption
Lesson 1 of 4
25 min
Decide which of these illustrative situations are corruption, and why.
Most people quickly say that 1, 3 and 4 are corruption and 2 and 5 are not. The skill this lesson teaches is to say why, with a definition precise enough to settle harder cases.
Definition
Corruption: "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain" (Transparency International).
Corruption in Rwandan law: Law N° 54 of 2018 on fighting against corruption defines it as any act in public organs, private institutions, civil society or international organisations operating in Rwanda that is "aimed at soliciting, receiving or offering an illicit benefit" or "a given favor of sexual nature to unlawfully render a service or carry out an activity", whether done directly or through another person (Article 2).
Illicit (illegal) benefit: "any benefit solicited, offered, accepted or promised illegally in order to render or omit a service" (Article 2).
Entrusted power: authority given to a person by others (the public, an employer, members of a group) to be used for their benefit, not the holder's.
Conflict of interest: a situation in which a person's private interest could influence how they carry out their duty. Example: a procurement officer judging a bid from his brother's company.
Integrity: acting honestly and according to one's duty, even when nobody is watching.
Apply it to the five situations:
| Situation | Entrusted power? | Abuse? | Private gain? | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Driver offers the officer money | Yes: the officer enforces traffic law | Yes: the fine is waived illegally | Yes: the officer gets money; the driver avoids the fine | Corruption (bribery), by both |
| 2. Tip at a private restaurant | No public duty is affected | No: the service was already given | A small reward, openly | Not corruption |
| 3. Manager hires the nephew | Yes: the manager recruits for the company | Yes: the fair test is ignored | Yes: a job for his family | Corruption (nepotism) |
| 4. Nurse charges for a free vaccine | Yes: the nurse serves the public | Yes: an unlawful charge | Yes: 2,000 Frw | Corruption (demanding undue money) |
| 5. Birthday present to a friend | No duty involved | No | A gift, not an exchange for a service | Not corruption |
Notice two features of Rwanda's law. First, it covers not only government but also private companies, civil society and international organisations. Second, it punishes both sides: the person who demands or accepts an illegal benefit and the person who offers or promises one. Under Article 4, each faces imprisonment of more than five years and up to seven years, and a fine of three to five times the value of the illegal benefit.
Important
What the scriptures say
| Christian scripture (World English Bible) | Islamic scripture (Qur'an, Pickthall's translation, 1930) |
|---|---|
| "You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous." (Exodus 23:8) | "And eat not up your property among yourselves in vanity, nor seek by it to gain the hearing of the judges that ye may knowingly devour a portion of the property of others wrongfully." (Surah 2:188) |
Both texts focus on judges and justice: a bribe "blinds" the one who should see clearly, and buying a judge's hearing takes "the property of others wrongfully". Both see corruption as theft from the community, not a private deal.
Warning
Three narrow views to avoid. (1) "Corruption is only about money": Rwandan law includes sexual favours and decisions based on "favoritism, friendship, hatred, acquaintances or nepotism". (2) "Only public servants are corrupt": the law also covers private institutions, civil society and international organisations. (3) "The giver is a victim": offering a bribe is itself an offence with the same penalty, except for a person who informs the justice organs before an investigation starts (Article 19).
Tip
Power, abuse, gain. When a question asks whether an act is corruption, test the three elements in order and say which one is missing if it is not. A one-word verdict scores little; a verdict with the three-part reasoning scores fully.
Important
Discuss. A parent gives a teacher a bag of beans at the end of the year, after the marks have been published, "to say thank you". Another parent gives the same gift two weeks before the examination. Use the three-part test to discuss whether either is corruption. Does timing matter? Why might a school ban all gifts to teachers?
Transparency International: "What is corruption?", about 1 minute. Note the definition and the three categories it names (grand, petty and political), which Lesson 2 develops.
Practice
Key points
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: the five situations, Figure 1, the tables and the exercises.
Quick check
Match each case to the verdict of the three-part test.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
