DATE=8/4/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-218094
TITLE=WORLD / CORRUPTION (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=MAXIM KNIAZKOV
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  AN INTERNATIONAL CORRUPTION-MONITORING GROUP SAYS NIGERIA
SEEMS TO BE THE MOST GRAFT-RIDDEN COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, WHILE 
DENMARK APPEARS TO BE THE LEAST CORRUPT.  V-O-A'S MAXIM KNIAZKOV 
HAS MORE ON A REPORT RELEASED BY THE GROUP CALLED TRANSPARENCY 
INTERNATIONAL. 

TEXT:  THE ORGANIZATION OFFICIALLY CALLS ITS ANNUAL REPORT, "THE 
CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX."  MANAGING DIRECTOR NANCY BOSWELL 
SAYS THIS IS BECAUSE CORRUPTION IS ALWAYS ILLICIT AND DIFFICULT 
TO TRACE.

THEREFORE, TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL RELIES ON THE OPINION OF 
BUSINESS EXECUTIVES AND OTHER PEOPLE DEALING WITH FOREIGN 
COUNTRIES.  USING SUCH SURVEYS, SAYS MS. BOSWELL, THE 
ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN ABLE TO RANK COUNTRIES PERCEIVED AS MOST OR
LEAST SUSCEPTIBLE TO CORRUPTION. 

                   // ACT ONE BOSWELL // 

         AMONG THE BEST SCORES -- OR THE LEAST-CORRUPT COUNTRIES 
         -- WERE MANY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS, INCLUDING DENMARK AT 
         THE TOP, FINLAND, SWEDEN AND LAST YEAR'S NUMBER ONE 
         RANKER, NEW ZEALAND, WHICH IS NOW NUMBER FOUR.  AT THE 
         OTHER END OF THE LIST, AMONG THOSE COUNTRIES PERCEIVED 
         TO BE MOST CORRUPT, NIGERIA STILL IS AT THE BOTTOM OF 
         THE RANKING.  BUT YOU HAVE RUSSIA. COLOMBIA, BOLIVIA, 
         PAKISTAN ALSO AMONG THE GROUPING OF COUNTRIES AT THAT 
         END OF THE SCORE. 

                        // END ACT // 

TRANSPARENCY RESEARCHERS CAUTION THE PLACEMENT OF NIGERIA AT THE 
BOTTOM OF THE LIST DOES  NOT  NECESSARILY MEAN IT IS THE MOST 
CORRUPT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.  THE REPORT COVERS ONLY 52 STATES, 
FOR WHICH THERE IS ENOUGH RELEVANT DATA.  THAT IS WHY RESEARCHERS
SAY THERE MAY EXIST OTHER, MORE GRAFT-RIDDEN NATIONS. 

AMONG THE MOST NOTICEABLE CHANGES SINCE LAST YEAR'S SURVEY ... 
THE GROUP POINTED TO RUSSIA'S SLIPPAGE FROM 10TH TO ONLY FOURTH 
PLACE FROM THE BOTTOM -- A REFLECTION OF RAPID CRIMINALIZATION OF
THAT COUNTRY'S ECONOMY.  

THE UNITED STATES RANKED 16TH FROM THE TOP, AFTER ISRAEL, BUT 
BEFORE AUSTRIA.   

BUT ALTHOUGH WESTERN INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS GENERALLY TOP THE 
LIST, MS. BOSWELL SAYS IT WILL BE WRONG TO CONCLUDE THAT THEIR 
POORER COUNTERPARTS ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH CORRUPTION. 

                 // ACT TWO BOSWELL // 

         YOU HAVE A LOT OF WESTERN COUNTRIES AT THE UPPER, 
         CLEANER END, AND A LOT OF THE EMERGING ECONOMIES, OR 
         DEVELOPING ECONOMIES, AT THE BOTTOM END.   THAT IS  NOT 
         IN ANY WAY TO SAY THAT THE INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES 
         DON'T SHARE IN THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE RANKINGS 
         BECAUSE MANY COUNTRIES PERMIT THEIR COMPANIES TO BRIBE 
         FOREIGN PUBLIC OFFICIALS. 

                     // END ACT // 

MS. BOSWELL BELIEVES HER ORGANIZATION'S REPORTS WILL EVENTUALLY  
PROD OTHER COUNTRIES TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF THE UNITED STATES 
AND BAR COMPANIES FROM USING BRIBES OVERSEAS.  SHE ALSO HOPES THE
SURVEYS WILL SPUR MORE ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGNS AROUND THE 
WORLD, AS EMERGING ECONOMIES SCRAMBLE TO ATTRACT FOREIGN 
INVESTMENT.  (SIGNED) 

NEB/MAX/RRM

04-Aug-97 4:50 PM EDT (2050 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.