Further Tensions Emerge Between Judiciary and SFO in Corruption Sentencing

On 14 April, John Dougall, a former director of marketing and business development for DePuy International Limited ("DPI"), an orthopaedic products manufacturer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to corrupt doctors in the Greek public healthcare system, between February 2002 and December 2005. He is the first British citizen to be convicted in this country of a corruption offence for overseas corruption of foreign public officials.

Although Mr Dougall provided significant help to the SFO in its investigation of DPI under an assistance agreement, resulting in the SFO seeking a lenient sentence for his involvement, the Judge decided the minimum sentence should involve a term of imprisonment. This casts a further shadow over the SFO's efforts to persuade businesses to self-report corruption in return for more lenient treatment.