Police says new unit will not target construction specifically in bribery and corruption investigations
A senior police officer has denied that a new anti-corruption unit will be 鈥渨itch hunt against construction.鈥�
Detective chief superintendent Oliver Shaw said that contrary to other reports, the bribery and corruption unit 鈥渋s not a witch hunt against the construction industry.鈥�
He said that he had previously used an investigation into corrupt construction contracts as an example of the type of cases the unit would be looking at.
He said: 鈥淚 can neither confirm or deny whether construction companies will be looked at. I cannot tell anyone which companies will be investigated.鈥�
The City of London Police and Metropolitan Police has been awarded 拢870,000 a year for three years to set up a unit of 10 officers to investigate UK and overseas bribery and corruption cases.
The newly formed unit will be dedicated to complying with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)鈥檚 anti-corruption conventions.
Shaw said: 鈥淚t would be useful if we could give construction companies guidance on negotiating contracts that do not fall foul of anti-corruption legislation.鈥�
