It is good to note that while the financial crisis is still reeling, the anti-corruption law of the federal government still has teeth to clamp down illegal practices.  Morgan Stanley’s case is a specific instance to cite. Its top executives were found violating the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act, prompting the firm to reorganize its Asian real-estate operation.

As the financial crisis is gripping tightly at everybody’s pockets, there is a strong possibility that corruption would become a common practice worldwide. It is possible that the real estate industry would not be the only arena where corruption turns up its head but in almost every transaction.

Officers responsible for enforcing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enacted in 1977 deserve praise and commendation. They stand firm on the essence of the law which qualifies as a crime the paying of bribes and kickbacks abroad by any U.S. company.