Conflict of interest,corruption or (simply) scandals?

The unprecedented municipal corruption scandals that occurred in Oslo in 1989–91 illustrate the contrasts and interrelationships between publicly-perceived scandal and actual corruption. What was depicted at the time as massive corruption has resulted in no convictions of politicians; on close examination the corrupt behavior appears to have been limited in both significance and scope, though official reports do suggest the possibility that more serious wrongdoing may have occurred. The case illustrates not only the mechanisms by which scandal is propagated, but also the contrasts between legalistic and other definitions of corruption. Analysis of four possible categories of corrupt behavior shows the difficulties of applying legalistic definitions to actual practice, and offers a clearer understanding of how corruption and scandal can diverge so sharply.