Stress of Giving Bribe

 

                                  Stress of Giving Bribe

(Individual Level)

 

Power does not corrupt people,

People corrupt power.

William Gaddis

 

Bribery, call it by any name you like, corruption, graft, inducement, buying off, palm-greasing, subornation etc., is an act implying money or gift given that alters behaviour of the recipient: it is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of a public duty: it can be money, good, right in action, property, emolument, object of value, advantage, to induce or

influence the action, vote, or influence of a person in a public capacity. These modern days even a date, a pat, casual sex, one night stand are also common forms of bribe.

 

Just see bribery is associated with public function, the duty which has been assigned by the State, by the public in general through their elected representatives, or by king who has always been representative of the Lord in positive sense and public function has always been remunerated and has been a function of honour. The very nature of function with which bribery is associated is pious and expects loyalty more than the king or say the sovereign, whereas bribery is the dirtiest act a breach of trust reposed by the public and the sovereign in the functionary. So both the receiver and the giver commit the crime and technically it is so, but general assumption is against the receiver and in favour of the giver of bribe. One would feel even the laws, acts and orders deemed to curb corruption are lenient so far as bribe givers are concerned and it was only in 2018 that the bribe giver in India were brought under the ambit of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 by an amendment of the said Act. Even in case where bribe recipients are caught red handed, the bribe giver is always a State Witness in the case against the recipient and all of the ingredients of gratification are assumed as against the receiver. Conduct of the bribe giver always remain unexplained and without corroboration even without notice, hence without punishment. This prompts bribe givers to try their luck to have their way to get the procedures violated.

 

Giving bribe appears to be a simple act: yes it is, as simple as giving money to a beggar who seldom refuses, if the recipient has already tagged himself a price for an action or in action and it is known that he does not move without the fragrance of face of the ruler-Chehare-Shahi-face of sovereign-currency cash in his hands. In such a situation, one should not wait but make the mare jump with money, balance can be decided later although it may look immoral as well as criminal but it saves lot of tension, harassment and time too for the bribe giver. But every time it may not be that simple.

 

Problem for bribe givers arises when the other party is unknown, is honest to the core, whose integrity is known, is hard hitting then the bribe givers are under lot of tension. It is difficult to bribe in such situations, although they think every man has a price: sometimes it is a blunder to think like that.

 

Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.

                                                              George Washington

 

Bribe givers adopt various methods in above situations. First such method is that they keep an eye on the personal activities of the person to be bribed and his family and find out the problems, if any, they are facing and have the help extended, through known or unknown source, even hire professional to extended help as if it happened to be extended without any obligation and themselves bear the expenses of such a professional help. At opportune time they make themselves known without any obligation and thus create a soft corner in the heart of the man concerned to be bribed. This keeps up the honour of the party concerned, but is a time consuming process and costly too and full of pitfalls, adopted when stakes are high.

 

Another popular method is, to offer bribe amount much above the social and financial status of the receiver so that he is made to think, at least, about the amount and the future accruing benefits.  This many a times leads to softening of the behavior of the receiver and may lead to the purpose in view. Chances of failure are many as the other party may be hard nut to crack and may some time lead to adverse consequences. Possibility of money going waste without achieving the aim are many.

 

Offering hard cash in total secrecy and total honesty after creating a rapport with the receiver. May succeed or may not succeed as this provides time to the receiver to think and rethink about the consequences and his reputation and normally such persons keep their reputation very safe and firm, hence may not come in the trap.

 

Never underestimate the effectiveness of a straight cash bribe.

                                                             - CLAUD COCKBURN

 

Some bribe giver also employ professionals for the purpose: who take up the job as a package for lump sum, charges are high and risk of failure is also too much despite so many safe guards taken; chance of becoming a scam or a scandal are very high as it involves outsiders and consequently the legal  and criminal implications but still the people do adopt this path also. Scams are not a one man show.

 

Still there is a common man’s path: people try to approach the contacts of the intended taker; obviously this introduces a third person between the two and sometimes more than that. It is more a path of recommendation than that of bribe: possibility of the job being done without bribe are more when the contact traced is really effective and near to the intended taker otherwise it very causal, “yes yes”, without any concrete action.

 

Some bribe givers adopt giving of gifts as a way to bribe: they take care of birth days, marriage anniversaries, religious festivals, marriages and births in the family and give costly gifts. This all depends on the gift receiver as how he reacts, acceptance of costly gifts is a way to be nearer to power.

 

Not every gift must you stretch your hands to take! Sometimes, just put your hands by your side and humbly and courageously say thank you!

                                                   Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

 

Whatever path a bribe giver adopts he is always under stress: assessing the strength of the character of the party to be bribed is the most difficult task:  how to arrange for money: normally black one: how to make the other party to accept the bribe: whether the time and effort would bring any fruit: money spent is always in danger of being lost: seldom is the money given before completion of the task is retrieved despite no results: whether the bribe would be accepted and aim achieved or without any results.

 

Many people are interested in sex without love and without any obligation, sex just for enjoyment for a short period as sex has always been the most natural attraction for human beings everywhere. So some bribe givers are always on a lookout to find

out whether the bribe receiver falls in the category that he just wants to enjoy sex. So many bribe giver that don’t hesitate, to use sex as an item of bribe, they employ professional and sex workers also, as per the requirements of the situation. Sex is like honey, once you taste, more you want: it is strongest trap the briber givers employ. That is reason it is used so frequently in political and monetary cases. It is extensively used in state espionage cases, wherein still photographs and videos are used at appropriate time for blackmailing the target to get the information required. Use of drugs and addiction there to along with the romantic and sexual relationships is common. Higher the stakes more intimate and personal are the relationships with the “target”- the person who matters, it is only the bribe giver or the handler who knows where he is hitting. Once in, in such a circle, the target ultimately gets killed socially, financially, monetarily, even his family life is affected. He also loses his employment too often, reason being change in the behavior of the targeted person which is noted at home and office both. So targets commit criminal acts during such relationships of love without sex and are thus in for problems, both legal and social. In fact, receivers of such favours are laying their own trap.

 

Wine, beer, whisky and other alcoholic drinks very dear to those who indulge and indulge daily, they are a path to enter firstly the chamber and then the personality of the target and hence nearness. Sometimes these are much more effective than other means adopted: all depends on the behavior of the targeted man.

Still preferable with many both the giver and recipient are drink parties where everything is arranged by the giver: the trouble in such initiatives is they have too many permutations and combinations of time, brand, participants, place, etc. everybody wants to keep himself aloof and unknown.

 

These day rave parties: a lively party involving dancing and drinking, are a new concept, wherein drugs and even arranged sex are not uncommon. Bribe giver do arrange such parties when groups are to be targeted. Irrespective of the illegality, these are very expensive: these are in fact based on the concept: all are naked in the hamam.

 

Still there is another new trend that people are given free hotel stay, travel package within India and abroad, not only for single but for the family in addition to costly gifts beyond imagination.

 

Consider this pronouncement, inscribed on an Assyrian tablet circa 2800 B.C.: Our earth is degenerate these days ... bribery and corruption abound, children no longer obey their parents, every man wants to write a book, and the end of the world is evidently approaching.                           

                                                             Neil De Grasse Tyson

 

Bribe a ruin and modern day necessity