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从美国《反海外腐败法》看美国刑法中的心理要件(下)

2021-09-14胡晓凡汤文华

英语世界 2021年8期

胡晓凡 汤文华

3.《反海外腐败法》中的心理要件

(2)“明知”(knowing)第三方支付

在《反海外腐败法》(FCPA)贿赂条款规定的交易中,除了发行者,往往涉及销售代表(sales agent)、批发商(distributor)、顾问(consultant)、承包商(contractor)等中间人的交易和支付行为。一些违反贿赂条款的行为通常是经由中间人发生的,而并非由发行人或相关公司管理人员实行。因此,FCPA在规定发行人和国内相关人的腐败意图认定标准时,也需要规范通过中间人支付(payment through intermediaries)这一行为。在这种情况下,发行人仍需具备上文阐释的交易相关意图,但还需考察行为主体(发行者、国内相关者)在多大程度上了解中间人将有价物支付给外国政府官员。FCPA第78dd-1(a)(3)条对该心理要件进行了具体的规定:

(a) Prohibition

It shall be unlawful for any issuer…corruptly in furtherance of an offer,payment, promise to pay…to—…

(3)any person, while knowing that all or a portion of such money or thing of value will be offered, given, or promised, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, to any foreign political party or official thereof, for purposes of-

(A)(i)influencing any act or decision…(ii) inducing such foreign official…to do or omit to do any act in violation of the lawful duty, or (iii) securing anyimproper advantage…

本條规定,发行人给予第三方任何有价物时,若“明知”(knowing)该金钱或有价物品的一部分或者全部将直接或间接地提供、给予或者承诺给予外国官员、外国政党或其官员,或者外国政治职位的候选人,但仍然实行该行为,旨在影响该外国官员或政党在职务上的任何决定,同样构成FCPA中规定的违法情形。

那么,“明知”(knowing)的定义是什么?法案在78dd-1(i)(2)条定义项中对该术语进行了解释:

(f) Definitions

(2)(A)A persons state of mind is “knowing” with respect to conduct, a circumstance, or a result if—

(i) such person is aware that such person is engaging in such conduct, that such circumstance exists, or that such result is substantially certain to occur; or

(ii) such person has a firm belief that such circumstance exists or that such result is substantially certain to occur.

(B) When knowledge of the existence of a particular circumstance is required for an offense, such knowledge is established if a person is aware of a high probability of the existence of such circumstance, unless the person actually believes that such circumstance does not exist.

由上述定义可知,以下几种情况均构成“明知”(knowing):(1)行为人意识到自己正在实施法律禁止的行为、该违法情况存在或者该结果肯定要发生;(2)行为人坚定地相信违法情况存在或者结果肯定要发生;(3)若违法行为的构成要件要求对于特定情形的“明知”,行为人意识到该情形的存在有很大可能(high probability),即可认定“明知”这一心理要件。……

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