Corruption is depressing, especially because it’s more common in countries where there isn’t enough to go around. It’s also a drag on economic growth, because it stifles fair competition and the success of the most deserving and productive ideas. It brings riches to a few, but steals from the many.

So I’m sorry to read that even those caught red-handed (7 million CZK in a wine-box) in the Czech Republic, the country where I live, can make a mockery of the judicial process. In this case former Czech regional governor and health minister David Rath is seeking a further adjournment of his case, suffering from headaches after falling from a bicycle.

Rath Seeks Adjournment

Corruption in this part of the world is endemic. I’d thought it was in decline. Perhaps it is, but even so Transparency International ranks perception of public sector corruption in the ‘LLP’ countries as follows, with most of our countries disgracefully low in the order (2014 rankings):

9th     Luxembourg

15th   Belgium

17th   USA

47th   Hungary

53rd   Czech Republic

54th   Slovakia

69th   Bulgaria

69th   Romania

103rd Mexico

136th Russia

I joked some years ago, when part of our company won a contract to implement an expenses system for the UK Parliament, that we would heavily discount our software for the Parliaments of countries who fall below 50th in the rankings. The offer is still open.

Read more about Transparency International here

Here’s the full ranking: