Former Olympus CEO Michael Woodford, who was sacked after questioning dubious acquisition payments, has won a whistleblower of the year award for his role in exposing corporate corruption.

The award will be presented to Woodford (pictured) in June by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners which is based in Texas, United States.

‘This award is bestowed annually on a person who, without regard to personal or professional consequences, has publicly disclosed wrongdoing in business or government,’ the organisation wrote in a letter to Woodford confirming the honour.

‘Our committee believes that your actions at Olympus were extremely courageous and merited this prestigious award for 2012.’

The official title of the award is the 2012 Cliff Robertson Corporate Sentinel award, named after an actor who exposed a Hollywood forgery scandal in the 1970s.

The award carries the inscription ‘For Choosing Truth Over Self’.

In December, Woodford won the Independent newspaper’s Businessperson of the Year.