Bribe case in regional health-care administration
Published: January 21, 2021
The Swedish National Unit against Corruption is prosecuting 12 people in the Östergötland Region for taking bribes. (Article in Swedish) The bribes are items such as mobile phones, tablets, video game consoles and gift cards with a total value of just over SEK 20,000.
The company behind the suspected bribes, Labcenter, was involved in a similar case with the Swedish Maritime Administration just last autumn.
That bribery situations are prevalent where the private and public sectors meet is a well-known pattern. Also common is the degree of ignorance that seems to characterize the people involved. Probably the relatively low sums have played a part in creating a feeling that ”this is ok". It is also possible that the Swedish self-image of not being a corrupt people in itself may be a factor that makes Swedes extra clueless and inclined to rationalize their behavior.
As an organization, you can help your employees become more aware by creating forums where these issues are actively discussed. The LAN rule (as in Lantero) helps individuals to assess what is ok:
Is it Legal?
Is it Appropriate?
Do I want to read about this in the Newspaper?