Australia’s enforcement of the foreign bribery offence

Australia takes enforcement of the foreign bribery offence seriously.

The OECD publishes enforcement data from the parties to the Anti-Bribery Convention, including Australia, annually.

Concluded foreign bribery cases in Australia are outlined below:

Radiance International (2020)

In February 2020, the director of Australian company Radiance International Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to 2 charges of causing bribes to be paid to foreign public officials. This followed a three year investigation which uncovered more than $100,000 worth of bribes paid to foreign public officials in Nauru. In August 2020, the individual was sentenced to a custodial sentence of 2 years and 6 months to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, with an additional condition of 400 hours of community service.

Read the AFP media release.

Lifese (2017)

In September 2017, 3 individuals were convicted by the NSW Supreme Court of conspiracy to bribe an Iraqi foreign public official to secure infrastructure contracts for their company Lifese Pty Ltd. All 3 individuals pleaded guilty. One individual, the middle man who facilitated the bribe to the Iraqi foreign public official, was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment with a fixed non-parole period of 2 years. On appeal the remaining 2 individuals, who were the directors of Lifese, were sentenced to imprisonment for 3 years and 4 months with a fixed non-parole period of 1 year and 8 months and fined $250,000 each.

Read the Australian Government media release.