The Corruption Perceptions Index 2015 report has highlighted how countries with high level anti-corruption ratings domestically can be home to companies with questionable practices overseas.
The index, released on January 27 by Transparency International, 'measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide'.
The report points to the case of Swedish-Finnish firm TeliaSonera, in which the Swedish government has a 37 per cent stake and the Finnish government a 3.2 per cent stake.
The telecommunications company is facing allegations it paid millions of dollars in bribes to conduct business in Uzbekistan, one of the most corrupt countries in the world. It sits in 153rd place on the index.
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Sweden ranks as the third cleanest country in the world with a score of 89 - with the least corrupt score being 100 and most at 0. Finland sits at number two ranking with a score of 90.
The report says countries have a responsibility to ensure their companies are not engaging in corrupt practices elsewhere in the world.
"Sweden isn’t the only 'clean' country to be linked to dodgy behaviour overseas. As our research shows, half of all OECD countries are violating their international obligations to crack down on bribery by their companies abroad," the report says.
In this related and linked-to research, in a separate report also by Transparency International, Sweden has a rating of "limited enforcement" and Finland of "moderate enforcement" for foreign bribery.
Australia is also rated at a level of "moderate enforcement" on this issue.
Overall, Denmark is ranked the least corrupt country in the world with a 91 score.
New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland followed after Sweden.
Australia received an overall ranking of 13 with a score of 79.
In 2012 Australia's ranking was 85.
“Between Australia’s slipping scores and North Korea’s predictably disastrous performance, this year’s index shows no significant improvement,” Srirak Plipat, Director for the Asia Pacific is quoted as saying in the report.
The index ranks Somalia and North Korea as the most corrupt countries in the world tying at 167th place with a score of eight.
Afghanistan comes next scoring 11, followed by Sudan at number 12, and South Sudan and Angola both ranked 163 scoring 15 on the index.
Looking at this in relation to the Global Peace Index 2015 reveals the most corrupt countries are also among the least peaceful, the report notes.
