AUTHORISED SNITCHING

in anti-corruption •  7 years ago 

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Officially called Whistle blowing, this is a very lucrative trade in Africa, In Nigeria to be precised; just like Cryptocurrencies. This is the profitable enterprise in the most populous black Nation of he World.

This does not in any way relate to whistling of sports officials and umpires, as the case may be in west Africa Nigeria. Once you have a strong lead to informations about government officials that had embezzled public funds, then you are a Whistle Blower!

The Whistle-blower Protection Act of 1989 (WPA) is a law that protects federal government employees in the United States from retaliatory actions for voluntarily disclosing information about dishonest or illegal activities occurring at a government organization..................Whistleblower Act.

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The federal Government of Nigeria passed this bill to allocate 2.5 - 5% of any recovered looted public funds i.e for anyone who gives detailed and accurate information about any laundered public funds. According to the Federal Ministry of Finance, the whistle blowing programme was designed to encourage anyone with details about violations of financial regulations mismanagement of public funds and assets, financial malpractice, fraud and theft to report it.

Mathematically, the percentage of some insane looted funds is not bad for a common average citizen of a country, Let me illustrate this:

  • Minister X looted $1 Billion USD,

  • Shared it with his aides Mr.A, Mrs.B and Miss.C,

  • Mr.D knew about it, but never got a share of the looted fund.

  • Mr.D blew the whistle on them.

  • Minister X was caught with his aides Mr.A, Mrs.B and Miss.C.

  • $1 Billion USD was recovered.

  • Mr.D gets 5% of the $1 Billion USD

  • Which is: 5/100 multiply by 1,000,000,000
    =50,000,000
    =$50 Million USD

  • Mr.D is Rich!

To be entitled to this slated percentage, the whistle blower will/must be able to make available to the Government with new and concise details that eluded the Government, and cannot be gotten from any other source. Then the main recovery must be based on the details provided by this Whistle Blowing Maestro!

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The question is; is this a morally acceptable move? Since anyone can as well pull out on any shady deals knowing fully well he or she is going to get more than enough with peace of mind from blowing the whistle on looters. Is this how it is in your countries?

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Loving your illustrative analysis mate, keep it up buddie!

Glad you read through mate, thanks for the encouragement!

Interesting question, but I guess a key element to consider when deciding if this is fair or not, is the fact that we are talking about public funds, so stealing the money that other hard working people have paid in tax.

When you consider the main objective as preventing stealing from the state purse, then I don't see a problem with giving the whistleblower 5% of the amount.

If a whistleblower was truly involved in the theft, then his cut would have to be under 5% to make whistleblowing a lucrative option for him.

Very interesting point, though the percentage varies from 2.5% to 5%......but a case actually made me post this; Senator blew whistle on another sets of senators cos they didn't give him shares from a looted sum.