・Mr. Matsuda did not notice immediately that several drinks were omitted from the bill.
When he received the check initially and found it to be cheaper than expected, he should have looked it over carefully and challenged the discount that had been made. Once paid, even if he gave the discounted amount back later, the fact that he received a special favor remains. The restaurant may not even accept payment at a later date. With this discrepancy, even if he were to give no special advantage to the contractor, the relationship between them would be rather uncomfortable and would have a negative influence on operations thereafter.
・After noticing this discrepancy, Mr. Matsuda did not attempt to take any corrective action.
He should have paid the exact amount of discount given back to the restaurant or the contractor and received a bill and receipt as proof of this payment.
At the outset, Mr. Matsuda had initially thought that going for a meal with a contractor was cause for concern. In the end, he now rationalized that a small favor like this wasn't problematic since he hadn't given the contractor any preferential treatment. This kind of attitude might make him fall deeper and deeper into a world of corruption.
There are very few cases in which public officials have been bribed from the outset. In most cases, however, accepting a small gift or favor from a contractor has become the starting point for corruption.
