Sanctioned Liberian officials yet to go scout free…

AS CONGRESS PASSES LANDMARK LAW ENABLING U.S. GOVERNMENT TO PROSECUTE FOREIGN CORRUPT OFFICIALS as Congress

Washington D.C., U.S.A – The United States Congress has approved the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act, as part of the annual defence spending bill, the National Defence Authorization Act.

The groundbreaking legislation criminalizes the act of foreign officials demanding or accepting bribes from Americans, marking a significant milestone in the fight against global corruption.

FEPA gathers bi-partisan support and represents a crucial step towards fulfilling a commitment made by the Biden Administration to address the “demand side” of foreign bribery.

The law makes it a crime for any foreign official, including government employees, former officials, or their close associates, to solicit or accept bribes from Americans or American companies, regardless of the location.

“Current U.S. law makes it a crime for an American or American company to offer a bribe to a foreign official, yet does nothing to punish a foreign official who demands or accepts such a bribe. And research shows that the vast majority of bribe-demanding foreign officials are never criminally prosecuted by their home governments. When these corrupt officials face little threat of prosecution by either their home governments or the U.S. Government while U.S. companies face serious criminal liability for their involvement in such schemes we’re left with incomplete justice. It’s time for the United States to impose a cost on those who would threaten Americans’ safety and livelihood with bribe demands.”

”FEPA would create a powerful new tool for fighting foreign corruption at its source and for protecting Americans and American businesses working abroad. We strongly encourage President Biden to sign FEPA into law as soon as possible, and we commend Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Joe Wilson, Sen. Thom Tillis, the Helsinki Commission, and their respective staff, for their leadership and dedication to this transformative law.”