Every day, somewhere in the world, a bribe changes hands. Corruption entraps entire countries, leaving ordinary citizens in poverty. In The Cost of Corruption, we'll visit three countries where global forces contribute to corruption, but where a movement for greater openness is helping people fight back.
Peru - Vladimiro Montesinos and the Art of the Bribe Bribes soak as much as $1 trillion from the world economy each year. And economists say that's only a fraction of the true cost of corruption. One of the most corrupt countries in recent years was Peru. There, the country's spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, set up an elaborate web of corruption to take control of the Peruvian state.
Georgia - Confronting Corruption People around the world are fighting to rid their countries of corruption. In some places, bribery and fraud are so deeply rooted in society, there seems little hope of change. In the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, people have to bribe everyone from doctors to police, with money percolating up to the highest levels of government.
Sao Tome - Island in an Oil Boom It sounds like a fairy tale: A tiny African country so poor that most people don't have electricity. Then one day, it finds itself sitting on billions of dollars in oil. That's just what's happening to Sao Tome and Principe. But for many developing countries, finding black gold is a curse; corruption flourishes, and most people stay poor.
Download an MP3 of this program or read the transcript.
See a video of Vladimiro Montesinos bribing the manager of Peru's most-watched TV station.
Find out which countries and heads or state are the most corrupt.
Read excerpts from an interview with Peter Eigen, founder and chairman of Transparency International.
