Some cynics believe that law is like a cobweb. It is made only for small flies. In the past, there was a hue and cry against white-collar crimes but today they have so proliferated that they virtually go unnoticed. The cases of the Air Mauritius Slush Fund and the colossal Mauritius Commercial Bank embezzlement are two very high-profile scams that have been unearthed with very high-profile citizens involved and they have become mere occurrences in the eyes of the public.

The ministry of Social security has also detected cases of officers defrauding public purse to the detriment of the poor innocent and needy citizens. Money is the new god and many are tempted to become affluent with ill-gotten money. Today our society worships paper, power and prestige. Trapped by the bait of money, they lose their rationality. They embezzle money but finally find themselves entangled behind bars.

Like termites, white-collar criminals are hidden in the woodwork ? eating away at the business and social structure. An armed robber would steal from a bank by violence whereas a banker or accountant would do it by intrigue. A white-collar criminal is the least suspected person in society. He is dressed elegantly and speaks forcefully with honeyed words. He will prey on his victim and exploit his credulity. He has the profile of an educated person supposedly adhering to ethical values. He occupies a position of trust and responsibility. A white-collar criminal may offer bribes to a policeman, entertain his wife at the company?s expense, receive a plasma-television in a business kickback, bribe a municipal councillor, steal an office desk for his personal use, juggle the company?s books for his personal gain and tell his wife to ignore the end of year bonus to the maid.

For fear of causing sensationalism in the press and soiling the reputation of the institution, many white-collar crimes are left unreported. White-collar criminals are sacked discreetly but their future is marred for the rest of their lives.

If the affluent flagrantly violate the law, then the poor and deprived will follow suit. When corporations and their managers break the law, they send the wrong signal to society. They tend to erode the moral base of the law and gives reasons to other kinds of offenders to rationalise their crimes. The higher in society the criminal is, the greater the impact will be. Bribery, corruption, extortion, kickbacks, split fees and protection money are the tentacles that grip the economy of a country.

The fabric of our society is being rocked to its bottom.

Is Mauritius turned into a republic of untouchables ? those privileged few who are more equal than others? Is ICAC a toothless bulldog? Only time will tell.

2008 will be crucial in the crusade against white-collar crimes.

<B>Philip Li Ching Hum</B>