Speaking at a Global Law Summit in London earlier this week she said that the Department for International Development would launch a five-year funding programme.

Greening said the UK was focused on supporting poor countries tackle corruption, whether by enabling citizens to report on the quality of their public services or by helping countries build effective and fair tax regimes.

‘DFID-funded anti-corruption units do world-leading work helping countries get back what is rightfully theirs and bringing the perpetrators to justice,’ she said.

‘So far over 150 cases of overseas bribery have been investigated by these units and over £120m has restrained, recovered and returned through their work.’

Greening said DFID’s funding would be used to help these units to continue, and scale up their work recovering and returning stolen assets and also pursuing UK companies and nationals who engage in bribery and corruption in developing countries.

The minister also pledged a further £500,000 to help poor and vulnerable groups, such as girls and women, access justice in developing countries.

An increasingly vital part of DFID’s work is to promote the rule of law, property rights and good governance in the country it works in, Greening said.

She added that the money would be used to develop ideas to help find new and better ways to support vulnerable groups with legal advocacy, education and strategic litigation.