Corruption can grow in a variety of political and economic environments but it thrives when bad government makes it impossible to control. While the importance of different factors can vary from place to place and from time to time, it seems that, for corruption to flourish, certain key pre-conditions are necessary:

1. A set of imperatives and incentives which encourage politicians and officials to engage in corrupt transactions, which include low and irregular salaries for officials with large dependent families. Such officials may feel compelled to become corrupt, and political instability and economic uncertainty encourages politicians to exploit current opportunities. Very few African officials can anticipate lifelong job security or a guaranteed pension.

2. The availability of multiple opportunities for personal enrichment. Some economic environments are much more conducive to corruption, in particular mineral and oil rich environments are more fertile territories than subsistence agriculture. The size and growth of public spending will help define the possibilities for corruption. Where there is extensive discretion over the allocation of economic costs and benefits.

3. Access to and control over the means of corruption. Motive and opportunity create the possibility but there have to be ways of actually engaging in corruption. These might include control over an administrative process such as tendering or having access to offshore accounts and the techniques of money laundering.

4. Limited risks of exposure and punishment. Corruption will thrive where there are inadequate and ineffective controls (both internal and external). Policing, detection and prosecution encourages corruption. Where the media are controlled and censored, corrupt politicians and officials have less to fear. The incidence of corruption is a result of the strength of incentives, the range and scale of opportunities, the availability of means and the risks of punishment. Corruption thrives on bad governance where controls are weak and decision-making....

But  such curruption cannot  be escaped  by true media....