Here is the announcement made by SFO:
"Airbus Group investigation
8 August, 2016 | News Releases
The Director of the Serious Fraud Office has opened a criminal investigation into allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption in the civil aviation business of Airbus Group. These allegations relate to irregularities concerning third party consultants. If you have any information please contact us through our secure and confidential reporting channel.
Notes to editors:
When providing information please quote ‘Airbus investigation’ on the reporting form.
The SFO opened its investigation in July 2016.
The SFO can make no further comment at this time"
The investigation is therefore in respect of suspected offences under Bribery Act 2010 and Fraud Act 2006.
In March 1974 THY flight 981, a DC10 crashed into a forest outside Paris killing all 346 souls on board. We all know what caused the crash, but why did it happen has since faded from memory. How was it that THY ended up with an aircraft that should have been sold to All Nippon and why did was the order cancelled and All Nippon bought from Lockheed instead.
In evidence given in 1975-6 to the Senate Committee on Multi -National Corporations, Lockheed admitted paying $22.5 million in bribes to foreign government officials between 1969 and 1974. Of that amount, Lockheed said, $2 million was paid to Japanese Government officials to influence, among other things, the sale of Tristars to All Nippon.
Had it not been for this then the DC10, Ship 29, would have gone to All Nippon with the baggage door modification carried out and all those lives would not have been lost.
Bakshish is simply intolerable and hopefully in the above enactments there is sufficient clout to ensure that all those who practice it are served with porridge instead of caviar and champagne for breakfast for a long time.