UK is the most corrupt place on earth, says Italian mafia expert

                       

David Cameron was given a lot of stick this month after he was overheard referring to

 Nigeria and Afghanistan as ‘fantastically’ corrupt.

But we doubt he would want to use the same superlatives when talking about a claim, from

 a leading Mafia expert, that Britain is the most corrupt place in the world.

When it comes to such subjects Roberto Saviano is a man whose opinion carries some 

weight.

The journalist is living under police protection after publishing revelations about the Mafia in

 Naples in his expose Gomorrah and the international cocaine trade in ZeroZeroZero.

Th 36-year-old’s comments about the UK were made during the Hay Literary Festival where

 he told the audience why he felt Britain topped the charts for corruption.

He said: ‘If I asked you what is the most corrupt place on Earth you might tell me well it’s

 Afghanistan, maybe Greece, Nigeria, the South of Italy and I will tell you it’s the UK.

Roberto Saviano spoke at the Hay Festival (Picture: David Levenson/Getty Images)

‘It’s not the bureaucracy, it’s not the police, it’s not the politics but what is corrupt is the 

financial capital. 90 per cent of the owners of capital in London have their headquarters

 offshore.

‘Jersey and the Cayman’s are the access gates to criminal capital in Europe and the UK is

 the country that allows it.

‘That is why it is important why it is so crucial for me to be here today and to talk to you 

because I want to tell you , this is about you, this is about your life, this is about your

 government

We also played host to the Anti-Corruption Summit earlier this month.The UK is ranked 10th

 in the world in the latest Corruption perceptions Index by Transparency International.

But offshore tax havens were thrust in to the spotlight earlier this year when the Panama

 Papers were published by multiple news organisations.

As such, Mr Cameron pledged a global crackdown on corruption last month.

But the Prime Minister has faced calls to reform off shore tax havens operating on its own

 Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories – like Jersey and the Cayman islands.