[originaltext]W: Recently quite a few government officials have been arrested f

W: Recently quite a few government officials have been arrested for taking huge bribes.
M: Yes, that’s true. But did you hear that they still have a last chance to save themselves?
W: No. How?
M: Well, from last year a few cities, including Marseille, Nantes, Paris and Calais, have introduced a new system to combat corruption. They opened a so called "anticorruption account."
W: What is the use of the account?
M: It is for officials who have received bribes. They may anonymously deposit money equivalent to the bribes they have accepted within a given time. The bribes may have been cash, presents or securities. Then they can get receipts that make them immune to a certain degree.
W: Does that mean their penalty may be reduced if they are found in the future to get involved in a bribery scandal?
M: Yes. With these receipts, the officials may be treated the same way as those who have rejected bribes.
W: I wonder how many officials have used this account.
M: Actually, the "anti-corruption account" in Nantes alone received deposits that totaled more than 400,000 francs after the local government issued an act stating that bribes should be deposited into the account within a given time.
W: Oh, really? But I doubt whether it’s a good practice.
M: In fact, many legal experts share your view. They think the practice lacks a legal basis and is not consistent with current criminal laws, or even in contradiction to the laws. They believe the practice shows the idea of "ruling society by men," and this idea conflicts with the more democratic concept of "ruling society by law."
W: Yes, I agree with them.
M: But still other experts are convinced that this is a very positive measure under the current circumstances of our country. Anyway, it provides a channel for the bribe takers to save themselves. And it can help create a positive atmosphere for the building of a clean government.