Bribery Under Egyptian Law

Bribery, constituting a white-collar crime, is internationally known as a crime of influence, defined in its simplest form as influencing the actions of officials or others in return for any item of value. It is one of the most challenging crimes with which the international community is attempting to grapple, as it directly reflects the presence of inherent corruption, contravenes the principles upholding the judicial system and thus, affects state development.

In Egypt, bribery is defined by the Penal Code as any public officer who requests, accepts or takes, either for himself or for others, a promise or a gift in consideration of performing his duties. Bribery is an extremely serious crime, which is sanctionable by life imprisonment, in addition to a fine that may reach the value of the promise or gift.