Patel has been charged with requesting and receiving a bribe. It is alleged that Mr. Patel agreed to influence the outcome of criminal proceedings in relation to a motoring offence, in exchange for £500. The prosecution was brought after an investigation by a national newspaper.
Matthew Woodford of law firm Browne Jacobson, commented: “This case is certainly not the dramatic debut that many had expected but once this first prosecution is out of the way we can expect the regulator to become more confident about prosecuting much more complicated business cases.”
This case is not what many felt would be seen as the first case under this landmark new act, but many businesses have changed their processes to ensure that they haven’t fallen foul of the new legislation introduced to primarily create transparency in business.
