Swedish bosses open to bribes: study

Every fifth business leader in Sweden could consider paying a bribe to win advantages in business and to retain clients, a new survey by Ernst & Young shows.

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Furthermore every fourth boss maintained that corruption is widespread in Sweden, reported the Dagens Industri (DI) daily.

"There is a general picture that we in Sweden are not at all as corrupt as in other countries. But that there are as many as 20 percent in Sweden who could consider paying a bribe indicates that it is a cultural problem," said Erik Skoglund at Ernst & Young to DI.

Ernst & Young's European Fraud Survey 2011 covered 2,500 employees and bosses from various sectors in 25 European countries, with 103 people from Sweden taking part.

In the conclusions to the report, Ernst & Young argued that "unethical behaviour is common among many business cultures in the whole of Europe".

Furthermore the report argued that "those who value integrity highly know that ethical behaviour is not just desirable, it is also good for business".

Sweden has been hit by a number of high profile fraud cases in recent months.

A major bribery scandal rocked Gothenburg in western Sweden early 2010 after allegations emerged concerned municipal housing companies. A former housing chief was sentenced to six month in prison in April 2011, with further trials expected in the growing scandal.

Furthermore The Local reported in October 2010 that a special police unit in Stockholm combating share scams was closed by the chief safety ombudsman due to a large influx of cases.