Belgium’s efforts against corruption ‘insufficient’

The fight against corruption is inadequate in Belgium, according to a report by Transparency International published today in De Standaard . The NGO ranks Belgium in the worst category with "little or no enforcement" when it comes to the "export of corruption", together with Russia, Chile, Mexico , Japan and fifteen other countries. Transparency International has interviewed experts in 40 countries that have ratified the OECD Convention against corruption. The report focuses specifically on the "export of corruption", such as corruption between heads of Belgian companies and foreign officials, and vice versa. According to De Standaard, Belgium gets a bad rating because corruption often goes under the authorities’ radar. The only case since 2009 to lead to concrete information is that of billionaire Patokh Chodie, who was suspected of money laundering in the Tractebel case but had eventually paid his way into avoiding prosecution. Transparency International also notes that corruption is not a political priority in Belgium, stressing that the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption is severely understaffed.