BRAZIL-On the issue of corruption

It’s a two-way street

In the US, corruption is just corruption. Brazil recognizes two types: active and passive. 

“Active” corruption is attributed to the party that proposes it as a condition for some action. “Passive” corruption is attributed to the party that accepts the proposal.

The Lava-Jato investigations have thus far indicated that “active” corruption in the mensalão and Petrobrás financial scandals was practiced by the government.

Several depositions indicate that it was the government and its representatives who made the payment of bribes, kickbacks, or the formation of cartels and overpriced public works projects a condition for winning public contracts. Now, the government claims that it was the victim of a kleptocratic oligarchy that held it captive to its greed and cupidity.

Either all those who negotiated plea bargains (based on presenting proof and with penalties for lying) are simply masochists seeking punishment or the government has things ass-backward! 

I have not read anywhere that the construction companies’ executives under investigation and/or doing time in the slammer told the government that if kickbacks and bribery were not  involved they would not take on the assignments. Not a few complained that they were told explicitly that if they did not pay up, they would not have their proposals approved and would not work for Petrobrás. 

Given the incentives under plea bargain arrangements, I would tend to believe the version of the executives. But that’s a matter of mychoice after reading the reports or talking to insiders. Maybe I’m simply wrong!

In any case, corruption, be it active or passive, is corruption and against the law, so what’s the noise all about?