Indident 1

Drakehouse Ltd has recently been granted planning approval for five high-end residential developments in Bayswater. The application was previously rejected and it went to appeal. Two weeks before the appeal committee granted approval, several members of the committee were invited to, and attended, a lavish champagne reception hosted by Drakehouse Ltd to celebrate the opening of its new office in Dubai. Several local newspapers have reported the fact that the committee members attended and that planning approval was later granted, despite objections by local residents. The committee members were invited by Charlene Du Bois, lead architect on the Bayswater project and Andr's wife.

(a) In Incident 1, has Charlene committed an act of bribery within the meaning of the Act?

(b) Could Drakehouse Ltd be liable for Charlene's actions in Incident 1?

The Bribery Act 2010.