(Aug. 5, 2008) The Yomiuri Shimbun
Bribing foreign officials tarnishes national image
ＯＤＡ贈賄 不正招く「商習慣」への警鐘だ（8月5日付・読売社説）
It is unforgivable for companies to simply accept the notion that providing kickbacks in developing countries is just another "business practice."
途上国でのリベート提供を「商習慣」と安易に受け入れることは許されない。
The first arrest in a bribery case in connection with Japan's official development assistance projects should be a strong signal to Japanese companies to change their way of looking at things.
日本の政府開発援助（ＯＤＡ）に絡む贈賄事件の初摘発は、企業に意識改革を迫るものだ。
Pacific Consultants International's accounting irregularities relating to Japanese projects to dispose of chemical weapons abandoned by the Imperial Japanese Army in China during World War II are now developing into an alleged violation of the Unfair Competition Prevention Law that prohibits bribing foreign government employees.
中国での遺棄化学兵器処理事業などをめぐる「パシフィックコンサルタンツインターナショナル」（ＰＣＩ）の不正経理事件が、外国公務員への贈賄を禁じた不正競争防止法違反事件に発展した。
According to investigations by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, a former president of PCI and others are suspected of handing over 90 million yen in 2003 and 2006, at the request of the head of the office in charge of a construction project to build an east-to-west trunk road in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
東京地検の調べでは、前社長らは、ベトナム・ホーチミン市の道路建設プロジェクトの担当局長の要求を受け、２００３年と０６年に現金計約９０００万円の賄賂を渡した疑いが持たれている。
This was the second arrest linked to bribery of foreign government officials after the Fukuoka Local Public Prosecutors Office filed a summary indictment last year against two former executives of electrical and engineering company Kyudenko Co.'s local subsidiary in the Philippines who had provided sets of golf clubs to two high-ranking officials at the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation.
海外贈賄の摘発は、福岡区検が昨年、フィリピン国家捜査局の幹部２人にゴルフセットを贈った九電工の現地子会社の元幹部らを略式起訴して以来、２件目だ。
Japan is Vietnam's largest donor country, providing about 100 billion yen in ODA last fiscal year.
ベトナムにとって日本は最大の援助国である。昨年度のＯＤＡ供与額は約１０００億円に上る。
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Taking from taxpayers
（馬鹿をみるのは納税者）
Tokyo-based PCI was previously found to have accounting irregularities of about 140 million yen that stemmed from padding expense claims for ODA projects in 16 countries, including Vietnam and Costa Rica, submitted to the Japan International Cooperation Agency. In Costa Rica, it was learned that PCI bribed influential local people.
ＰＣＩは、過去にもベトナムやコスタリカなど１６か国へのＯＤＡに関連し、国際協力機構（ＪＩＣＡ）に水増し請求するなど計１億４０００万円の不正経理をしていた。コスタリカなどでは現地の有力者にリベートを渡していた。
stemmed from padding expense＝水増し請求により生じる
Monday's arrest may illuminate only some of the bribes paid by PCI in developing countries. We hope prosecutors will uncover the full scope of what PCI has done in winning bids.
今回の容疑は、ＰＣＩが途上国で繰り広げた不正なリベート提供の一部にすぎないのではないか。検察は全容を解明してほしい。
In 1998, member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, including Japan, as well as some nonmember countries concluded a convention to prevent the bribing of government officials. Along with that, Japan prepared the necessary domestic legislation by revising the Unfair Competition Prevention Law.
外国公務員への贈賄については１９９８年、日本を含む経済協力開発機構（ＯＥＣＤ）加盟国などが防止条約を締結した。それに伴い、日本は不正競争防止法を改正し、国内法を整備した。
In spite of that, bribery is rarely detected because it is difficult to gather the necessary information as well as to get cooperation from the foreign countries involved.
だが、情報収集が難しく、相手国の協力も必要なため、なかなか摘発されなかった。
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Case not pursued
In 2002, Mitsui & Co., a major trading company, was suspected of bribing a high-ranking Mongolian government official by providing 1.3 million yen in cash in connection with an ODA project in that nation. At the time, prosecutors considered filing charges against the trading company under the Unfair Competition Prevention Law, but in the end decided not to proceed with the case.
２００２年、モンゴルへのＯＤＡに絡み、三井物産が同国高官に現金１３０万円を渡した疑いが強まり、適用が検討されたが、見送られた。
In contrast, bribery charges have been laid in about 100 cases in the United States since the OECD convention was enacted. Japan's accomplishments in this area have been outshone by a considerable degree, so much so that the OECD repeatedly recommended improvements were needed. It has also sought to have Japan take a more active approach to filing charges.
条約発効以来、約１００件を摘発している米国などに比べ、日本は実績で大きく見劣りしており、ＯＥＣＤから再三、勧告を受けてきた。日本にも積極的な摘発姿勢が求められる。
outshone=実績があがっていない、停滞した
It is almost impossible to eradicate corporate misconduct when government officials solicit bribes as in the PCI case, unless the recipient of the bribe is strictly punished in their own country.
また、収賄側も当該国で厳正に処罰されねば、今回のような要求型の賄賂授受は根絶されない。
eradicate＝全滅させる、根絶する solicit=求める、嘆願する、歓迎する
Meanwhile, companies should be aware that complying with such demands will lead the international community to lose trust in Japan.
一方、企業は、要求に応じることが日本に対する国際社会の信頼を損なうことを認識すべきだ。
The government now is going to focus on ODA projects in Africa. To make good use of ODA as a valuable diplomatic tool, disciplined corporate behavior and strict oversight by the Foreign Ministry are indispensable.
日本はアフリカ向けＯＤＡにも力を入れようとしている。ＯＤＡを貴重な外交手段として生かすには、企業の自律した行動と外務省の厳正なチェックが不可欠だ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 5, 2008)
（2008年8月5日02時12分 読売新聞）
PR
