There’s a weird dynamic in bribes. If I offer you a bribe and you don’t take it, I can still claim that you did. Or I can muddy the waters by claiming that you asked for it.

One idea I’ve seen is that it should be legal to accept a bribe but not offer or solicit one. On taking the bribe, your legal protection is conditional on handing over the bribe to the appropriate authorities. There’s still some game theory at work, but you’ve at least given people that are susceptible to bribes some additional power.

My personal gut reaction is to avoid touching dirty money at all costs. Life’s too short to try and explain that to a law enforcement professional with no imagination.

Or you can use the dirty money and hire high profile lawyers and just get a slap on the wrist, pay a small fine and move on.

In some places, they slap you on the wrist with a sword.

If you get to keep the bribe only once the briber is found guilty, it gets even more tempting.

Agreed. Accepting the bribe seems to be a worse offense than offering it. I'm not sure why the employees were not indicted.

I didn't accept a bribe. I went to the restroom, and when I came back there was suddenly an envelope full of cash on my desk. None of my co-workers knew anything about it, so I just assumed 'lucky me'. The timing of approving those plans is just coincidental. I was going to approve them anyways.