A corruption probe is an investigation of the possible involvement of public officials in corrupt activity. It may be triggered by a whistleblower report or by the detection of corrupt activities in a company through its internal audit function. The investigation may involve a wide range of information gathering, interviewing and analysis. This is a complex, lengthy and specialized process that may require specialist investigators, depending on the nature of the suspected corruption.
A common method of investigation is to gather as much evidence as possible to prove the case. This includes a wide variety of documentation (emails, bank records showing unexplained cash deposits), and information gained by accessing government office files or other publicly available documents (such as freedom of information requests). In many cases this can take years to build the evidence.
Ultimately, the evidence is presented to police who assess it and decide whether to refer the matter to prosecution. A key issue is to have a clear protocol about how to handle reports of corruption. This is important for the integrity of the investigation itself but also because it sets expectations about how people will report in the future.
If a case of grand corruption is to be proved, it requires a number of pieces like a jigsaw in order to demonstrate the overall pattern. This is why it is so rare for a single piece of evidence to be enough to prove corruption – often, the whole picture must be put together to make an informed decision about whether there is corrupt behaviour or not.
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