I am from Pakistan.

We took part in a government tender for buying machines to combat an epidemic. (Remember the big Dengue scare a couple of years ago.) This particular equipment is a vital need for the sick.

Our bid was technically qualified (yes, we represented the best manufacturer in the world.) And we were commercially the lowest bid.

I was congratulated by everyone including my competitors and the officiating beauracrats, since this was the largest purchase of its kind in Pakistan and went into a large sum of money. I was even informed to wait a week and get the purchase order personally. The order was strategic and the government wanted to ensure they got the machines before the Monsoons started and Dengue hit.

A few weeks later, (the order was still in limbo for a number of unspecified reasons) my manager dealing with the matter called me and said he had received a message that if we wanted the order I should go over and finalize the commission with some people.

In summary, I started getting calls and messages directly from the touts of the government officials and politicians deciding the case. I was told I had to pay ten percent of the order value and it was mine, otherwise they would cancel it.

As a favor I could even pay after opening of the Letter of credit. They would also enhance the order value and size, make it larger many times, and throw in some other goodies. (I hear it went into a few million dollars, later on.)

Now remember that we are going through a pretty tough time in Pakistan, and big orders are scarce. Our company was a pretty well reputed company in our space. I seriously started thinking of what I should do. I mean we were talking serious money for a small business in a recession, and an environment where we were just breaking even for the year.

The problem that occurred was that I just didn’t want to do it. I have over two decades run as ethically as possible a successful business in my country, an achievement I’m proud of. My concerns about corruption did slow my growth, but still it was a price for my satisfaction and my conscience.

I dithered with the guys for over three weeks, delaying my decision, all the time thinking of the options I had, the consequences of accepting the deal versus rejecting it, the jackpot at the end of it, that we could expand operations instead of tightening them as we had been doing over the past two years.

In the meantime dengue season had started. The epidemic was particularly bad that year, and in the time that the order was delayed about 300 hundred deaths occurred in the space of a month. Every day ten, fifteen, twenty kids were dying, and I was hoping the government fearing a backlash would push the order through. (Before you condemn me, this wasn’t a strategic move on my part. It just happened. Remember I did not delay the order, the government was the one doing it.)

I then got a final and penultimate call. They knew I was delaying, they knew I was pretty well connected because of my family (I am), they knew that I was technically and commercially the best bid.

I was finally informed I could use all my connections, think of the highest office in the land, but I wouldn’t be able to reach the people ordering the touts. By this time I had a pretty fair idea of who I was dealing with, enough hints had been dropped. I was even getting calls from fellow businessmen to agree. (Reason, it would be easier for the politicians to work with me rather than someone else.)
Long story short, by the time the order was given to another company, 500 people had officially died. Unofficially the count was higher.

I tried to reach people who mattered, and I did, indirectly, through contacts I had within the ruling political party. But I was eventually told nothing could be done.
I did have text messages, and emails from indirect sources requesting me to agree. So I thought of a legal case or going to the media. But when I, discreetly, checked the case file at the ministry, the technical recommendations had been modified, especially one new document had been added. This new document gave the officials some leeway to fight the case legally.

I decided to withdraw. I could have still gone to court, but at the time I was too demoralized and tired.

To this date, I still regret not going to the media or the courts. Yes, I would have lost, or been entangled in it forever, but still I wouldn’t regret it like I do now.

PS 1: I decided to close my business. I was tired of fighting corruption through so many years of being an entrepreneur. Today I am unemployed.

PS 2: The price of corruption in my case was not the bribes or my business, the real price paid was the lives of the dead people and the tragedy of being at the mercy of death and ill, especially if you are poor.

PS 3: The year was 2010.

PS 4: It was downright insulting to hear so-called experts and media pundits congratulate the then government for the excellent measures it took to manage the problem. Excellent spin on what was a national tragedy.

I request you, whether you are in the developing world or the developed, to treat corruption at par with war, and terror. The price is never ever money alone, it is more than that, much more: the social fabric , human dignity, and lives are at stake.

Do not ever justify your corruption in the name of ‘what else could I have done; the system doesn’t allow me to.’

Remember: ‘We’ are the system, we form it, and we have to learn to say NO. Otherwise, do not complain.

Finally, please vote for people who are not corrupt. A bullet takes one life. Roads not built, hospitals that don’t deliver medical care, education never provided, all this costs thousands of lives.

EDIT: I have been asked a number of times in the comments section if I should have paid the bribe to save the lives that were lost. And whether I feel guilt because of that.

Only read further if you are interested, as this is a detailed explanation of the situation.

.............
The order had been finalized well in time, and if it had been implemented, things would have been ready much before Dengue started.

Why the delay happened, I am not sure.
Perhaps because governments believe in the maxim: "Do your worst, and prepare for the best."
Perhaps they thought that Dengue would not happen that year and they could divert the funds elsewhere.
Or perhaps, there were ulterior motives from the start.

Either way, they only came back to me when Dengue had started, and people had started dieing. I had stayed in touch and kept on pressing that Dengue would spread soon, and they should process the order to us fast. All I got was vague replies that things are delayed etc.

Unfortunately Dengue is that sort of a disease, once it settles in the deterioration can be pretty rapid, unless urgent medical care is provided. So, after the early part, the epidemic picked up pace pretty fast, and everything was mayhem.

The negotiations started with me more than a couple of weeks after the start of the disease (the time periods are approximations. I can look them up, but not required right now.) The negototiatios took longer than the middlemen expected. They were thinking I'd say a quick 'yes', as is usual, and that would be it. For me to reach a conclusive decision it was taking quite a bit of time. I will not pretend it was easy. I had also started homework that with the situation the way it was I could sell the company with a big order in hand. This way I would be free of taking a decision. For one reason or the other, this did not happen.

This stalemate lasted for about two weeks. Either way, once the 'other party' realized I was delaying they started to play around with the documents. I was then told to make up my mind, because they had things under control meaning I would not get the order. It was at this time I was told point blank I had 24 hrs to decide. This was extended a couple of times. They had to have the things in place before moving on to the next party.

Then they moved onto the next company, and within a week finalised the documentation for giving it the order. I knew I had lost, and started weighing legal options.

Interestingly, the other company was much smaller (not the local co., but the foreign manufacturer.) They did not have the resources in place to get the required number of machines in place and into the country. About three weeks later, the government still did not have anything in place.

The government then came back to me, using another alternate channel. The request was how quickly would I be able to get some machines in. I did the arrangements, and was able to convince the manufacturer to divert another of their orders to Pakistan from another country on humanitarian grounds. My supplier is the largest company worldwide in that area, and I gave the government a yes response within a couple of days or so.

But since no one was getting any commissions, even that arrangement was first reduced to a fraction of the original. Then later, I was not given any order. Btw, in between the grapevine reported that the CM was very annoyed with the delay, his credibility was at stake.

The other manufacturer was only able to supply the machines once dengue was nearly over. In fact they only supplied one machine in about three weeks, whereas the orignial order was manifold. One machine was like a drop in the ocean. The rest of the machines were installed much later. So effectively, I remained a part of the process until the end. But the govt. in its infinite wisdom decided to not work with me irrespective of the fact that I was willing to supply on urgent basis, within days, what their selected supplier could not in weeks. Reason: the principal company most likely did not have the capacity to execute things fast.

I have given the details to help clarify the finer details of my involvement, and the government’s ill will.

As to the question of guilt, the above should help you understand the circumstances better. I remained in touch with the government. I kept myself available, on condition that I would not pay bribes. I did not refuse to supply the equipment. I only refused to pay bribes.

So my answer is NO. I do not bear the responsibility. I do not feel guilty. I did feel immense anger and sorrow. Immense regret that this is how we are considered by our leaders, as fools and fodder for elections, and to earn them money. Yes I did oppose the govt. in recent elections, and actually worked in the campaign against them.

Hope this answers.

PS: I have withheld certain specifics on purpose. This is not the forum for them.