Wal-Mart: How a retail giant fueled growth with bribes

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  • #173583
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    In Costa Rica’s Napoleonic legal system, every infraction and the associated penalty is defined to the nth degree. There is no provision for paying a traffic fine “on the spot”, so to do so is to participate in bribery.

    I once had a Transito officer offer to let me pay the fine I rightfully owed on the spot for c10,000. I politely explained (lied, actually) that I didn’t have the cash, so he’d just have to issue the ticket which he did — for c5,000.

    You may be solicited for a bribe, but you don’t have to participate.

    #173584
    camby
    Member

    [quote=”DavidCMurray”]In Costa Rica’s Napoleonic legal system, every infraction and the associated penalty is defined to the nth degree. There is no provision for paying a traffic fine “on the spot”, so to do so is to participate in bribery.

    I once had a Transito officer offer to let me pay the fine I rightfully owed on the spot for c10,000. I politely explained (lied, actually) that I didn’t have the cash, so he’d just have to issue the ticket which he did — for c5,000.

    You may be solicited for a bribe, but you don’t have to participate.[/quote]

    as far as precise laws, I remember reading that in relation to buying property.
    Interesting on the fine thing…..I have read the CR is ranked high in lack of corruption, but obviously, it exists.
    USA really no different, just different methods, perhaps…

    were you speeding?

    #173585
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    No, I missed the [i]No Hay Passo[/i] sign and there was the Transito officer waiting for me.

    #173586
    camby
    Member

    [quote=”DavidCMurray”]No, I missed the [i]No Hay Passo[/i] sign and there was the Transito officer waiting for me.[/quote]

    oopsy, in town/city or out? just asking, as I saw little traffic enforcement in the limited time and area I was in….seem to be fast and faster as a rule or slow in mountain twists….
    he was waiting for you, a helpful fellow with obvious no ulterior motive.:lol:

    #173587
    VictoriaLST
    Member

    The point is, there is no “on the spot fine” – although the handy “Costa Rican Spanish” book tells you how to say it. Asking to pay such a ‘fine’ is just a way of offering a bribe without using the nasty word, ‘bribe’.

    So, yes to Costaricabill. There are real bribes.

    #173588
    costaricabill
    Participant

    [quote=”VictoriaLST”]The point is, there is no “on the spot fine” – although the handy “Costa Rican Spanish” book tells you how to say it. Asking to pay such a ‘fine’ is just a way of offering a bribe without using the nasty word, ‘bribe’.

    So, yes to Costaricabill. There are real bribes.[/quote]

    There is a big, BIG difference in paying off a “white shirt” transito officer and “white collar crime” as reported in the article!

    #173589
    VictoriaLST
    Member

    Ya asked about bribes, I told ya about bribes. So sue me 🙂

    #173590
    aguirrewar
    Member

    BRIBES???

    La Trocha the investigation goes all the way to the TOP

    El Puenta La Platina

    and how about this one!!

    HOW namy ex-presidentes have been investigate for BRIBES and convicted

    surely you JEST for calling me foolish on this issue

    PSSS.. How many Police Officers are KICKED out of the force for accepting Bribes in 2012 ALONE

    should I continue???

    #173591
    VictoriaLST
    Member

    Exactly.

    #173592
    maravilla
    Member

    The way in which Wally World operates would certainly make one think that it would not be out of their usual business practices to pay bribes in Costa Rica, just as it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for some gummint official to take one. Latin America operates on this system. It’s NORMAL! It’s how it’s always been and how it’s always going to be. But wait — it’s how it is in Italy, Spain, Dubai, AND the US. Bribes: It’s what makes the world go ’round.

    #173593
    VictoriaLST
    Member

    [quote=”maravilla”]The way in which Wally World operates would certainly make one think that it would not be out of their usual business practices to pay bribes in Costa Rica, just as it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for some gummint official to take one. Latin America operates on this system. It’s NORMAL! It’s how it’s always been and how it’s always going to be. But wait — it’s how it is in Italy, Spain, Dubai, AND the US. Bribes: It’s what makes the world go ’round.[/quote]

    Good Grief! Maravilla and I have the same opinion??? That is just too odd.

    #173594
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    [quote=”VictoriaLST”]
    Good Grief! Maravilla and I have the same opinion??? That is just too odd.[/quote]

    Now, now, Victoria, don’t take it so hard. That happened to me once, too, and I got over it.

    #173595
    VictoriaLST
    Member

    😆 And here I thought the Mayan’s had it a little wrong and the world is [i]about[/i] to end!

    #173596
    maravilla
    Member

    well, well, well — will wonders never cease????

    oh, david, did you really ever once agree with me? I must’ve missed that post. we must have been talking about the weather or something really innocuous. jajaja

    #173597
    maravilla
    Member

    and just this morning i scanned the headlines about the bribery case that allowed Alcatel to get a foothold in this country. that’s just one incident; there are probably hundreds more that we never hear about — the little bags of cash left on a doorstep in the middle of the night. jajaja

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