Corruption is like a balloon that is just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. We have seen situations where a Government is in office. They come in poor like a church rat. Some of them don’t want to come out of office but when they do, they want to go out as multi-billionaires because they believe that they are entitled to public monies and to the good life. And God alone knows what they wouldn’t do for it.
Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, Dr. Keith Rowley
Introduction
Corruption is as old as humankind. No country is immune from it, be it a developed country or an underdeveloped one, a rich country or a poor one. Corruption is an immoral and unethical act committed by politicians and bureaucrats for their personal gain and at the expense of the broader interest. Corruption disproportionately hurts the poor, the disadvantaged and other the vulnerable groups, including the unemployed, the sick and the elderly. It results in the misallocation of scarce resources, and areas that are in genuine need of developmental assistance are overlooked in preference to programmes and activities that offer the greatest rewards to the corrupt.
