SFO raids four premises in BAE contracts probe
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I was going to go on to your strictures about what makes a good journalist
but I think I’m losing the will to live.
I always used to defend the journo slagging on here. Stupid me. Next time I will get to know the type of person before making that decision
Oh dear, oh dear - the US Department of Justice is to hold an anti-corruption investigation into 't Bung-ing Baron's alleged activities....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6239918.stm
....and a reminder of what is alleged:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6732921.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6239918.stm
....and a reminder of what is alleged:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6732921.stm
Hmmmmm....
"US prosecutors are aggressive in pursuing such allegations and make full use of the lopsided and unfair extradition arrangements with the UK. However, this case also potentially involves members of HM Government and the Civil Service. The Al Yamamah arms deal in question was a government-to-government transaction and it is therefore quite possible that extradition will be used by the US against UK officials."
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Damn! I bought BAE shares last week- only lost 10% so far, but it will help with my tax returns...
Thorntons shares come with free chocolate vouchers- does anyone know if BAE shares come with a Typhoon voucher?
SMT
Thorntons shares come with free chocolate vouchers- does anyone know if BAE shares come with a Typhoon voucher?
SMT
There is no doubt that the muck is there waiting to be spread but is it in anybody's interest to spread it?
The answer is that it depends where you are coming from - imagine, purely as an example, the furore that would erupt if someone discovered that there was a link between a defence contractor and the tenants of the two buy-to-let apartments that the Blair family (remember them?) bought in Bristol ...
Jack
The answer is that it depends where you are coming from - imagine, purely as an example, the furore that would erupt if someone discovered that there was a link between a defence contractor and the tenants of the two buy-to-let apartments that the Blair family (remember them?) bought in Bristol ...
Jack
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See:- http://www.guardian.co.uk/baefiles/s...173947,00.html
Labour tries to block new BAE inquiry
Request from US investigators is ignored by home secretary
Labour tries to block new BAE inquiry
Request from US investigators is ignored by home secretary
BAE chiefs face renewed corruption inquiry
From The Sunday Times
December 9, 2007
BAE chiefs face renewed corruption inquiry
David Leppard
THE Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is to relaunch a criminal investigation of alleged corruption at Britain’s biggest arms company, BAE Systems.
Whitehall officials say dozens of senior BAE executives are to be interviewed in the next two months about alleged bribery involving more than £80m in secret commissions. The money is said to have been paid to middlemen involved in lucrative government arms contracts in South Africa, Tanzania, Romania and two other countries. The new SFO interviews come only a year after Tony Blair and Lord Goldsmith, then attorney-general, controversially halted a separate corruption probe into BAE’s arms dealings with Saudi Arabia.
The government stopped that inquiry after the Saudis threatened to end intelligence cooperation in the war on terror, provoking a wave of international criticism.
Among those to be interviewed under caution in the new investigation will be Sir Dick Evans, BAE’s former chairman, who is still a consultant with the company. Mike Turner, the outgoing chief executive, is also expected to face questions. Both men adamantly deny any knowledge of wrongdoing.
Senior BAE managers are to be asked about six separate defence deals where questions have been raised about commission payments to middlemen said to be working for the company. These include £75m alleged to have been paid in connection with a £1.6 billion deal to sell Saab Gripen fighter jets to South Africa, one of the country’s biggest arms deals. The Gripen is produced by the Swedish firm Saab, in which BAE has a 20% stake.
The SFO plans to ask BAE executives whether they had any knowledge of bribes paid by the middlemen to South African officials and ministers in order to win the contract.
The SFO is also examining a £116m contract for BAE to refurbish and upgrade two British frigates that had been sold to Romania in 2003.
There have been allegations that an unidentified Romanian politician received a £6m secret commission in connection with the deal. BAE executives can also expect questions about several other deals including: A planned £1 billion contract to sell Gripen jets to the Czech Republic in 2001. Published documents allege that secret arrangements had been set up to pay commissions through offshore companies to three agents with links to the Prague political establishment. The sale of a £28m radar system to the government of Tanzania in 2002. There are claims that the contract price was corruptly inflated and that commissions worth 30% of the total contract price were paid to Tanzanian agents. Contracts involving the sale of surplus frigates and other arms to Chile. It is alleged that secret commissions may have gone to General Augusto Pinochet, the former head of state accused of torturing opponents.
BAE has consistently denied allegations of corruption and insisted it complied fully with antibribery legislation. Earlier this year it appointed Lord Woolf, the former lord chief justice, to chair a panel to review its business ethics.
A spokesman said this weekend: “BAE Systems continues to cooperate fully with the SFO investigation. As this is an ongoing criminal investigation, it would be inappropriate for us to comment on the substance of it.”
December 9, 2007
BAE chiefs face renewed corruption inquiry
David Leppard
THE Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is to relaunch a criminal investigation of alleged corruption at Britain’s biggest arms company, BAE Systems.
Whitehall officials say dozens of senior BAE executives are to be interviewed in the next two months about alleged bribery involving more than £80m in secret commissions. The money is said to have been paid to middlemen involved in lucrative government arms contracts in South Africa, Tanzania, Romania and two other countries. The new SFO interviews come only a year after Tony Blair and Lord Goldsmith, then attorney-general, controversially halted a separate corruption probe into BAE’s arms dealings with Saudi Arabia.
The government stopped that inquiry after the Saudis threatened to end intelligence cooperation in the war on terror, provoking a wave of international criticism.
Among those to be interviewed under caution in the new investigation will be Sir Dick Evans, BAE’s former chairman, who is still a consultant with the company. Mike Turner, the outgoing chief executive, is also expected to face questions. Both men adamantly deny any knowledge of wrongdoing.
Senior BAE managers are to be asked about six separate defence deals where questions have been raised about commission payments to middlemen said to be working for the company. These include £75m alleged to have been paid in connection with a £1.6 billion deal to sell Saab Gripen fighter jets to South Africa, one of the country’s biggest arms deals. The Gripen is produced by the Swedish firm Saab, in which BAE has a 20% stake.
The SFO plans to ask BAE executives whether they had any knowledge of bribes paid by the middlemen to South African officials and ministers in order to win the contract.
The SFO is also examining a £116m contract for BAE to refurbish and upgrade two British frigates that had been sold to Romania in 2003.
There have been allegations that an unidentified Romanian politician received a £6m secret commission in connection with the deal. BAE executives can also expect questions about several other deals including: A planned £1 billion contract to sell Gripen jets to the Czech Republic in 2001. Published documents allege that secret arrangements had been set up to pay commissions through offshore companies to three agents with links to the Prague political establishment. The sale of a £28m radar system to the government of Tanzania in 2002. There are claims that the contract price was corruptly inflated and that commissions worth 30% of the total contract price were paid to Tanzanian agents. Contracts involving the sale of surplus frigates and other arms to Chile. It is alleged that secret commissions may have gone to General Augusto Pinochet, the former head of state accused of torturing opponents.
BAE has consistently denied allegations of corruption and insisted it complied fully with antibribery legislation. Earlier this year it appointed Lord Woolf, the former lord chief justice, to chair a panel to review its business ethics.
A spokesman said this weekend: “BAE Systems continues to cooperate fully with the SFO investigation. As this is an ongoing criminal investigation, it would be inappropriate for us to comment on the substance of it.”
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No doubt the Sunday Times report made your cornflakes a little bit more enjoyable this morning BEagle.
It never ceases to amaze me that the SFO apparently conducts this 'criminal investigation' by announcing its intentions in advance, on a regular basis, through certain UK media titles.
Hardly the behaviours of a responsible organisation and not one many individuals would find acceptable, if alllegations were being made against them.
How would you feel if you were one of the named individuals BEagle? Fair game to suggest you are a guilty party, through the pages of national newspapers, before any charges or trial ?
Can't help but wonder what effect this apparent constant leaking of legally privileged information will have on any court case, if it ever proceeds that far.
It never ceases to amaze me that the SFO apparently conducts this 'criminal investigation' by announcing its intentions in advance, on a regular basis, through certain UK media titles.
Hardly the behaviours of a responsible organisation and not one many individuals would find acceptable, if alllegations were being made against them.
How would you feel if you were one of the named individuals BEagle? Fair game to suggest you are a guilty party, through the pages of national newspapers, before any charges or trial ?
Can't help but wonder what effect this apparent constant leaking of legally privileged information will have on any court case, if it ever proceeds that far.
refuse to employ, or sack you?
Hi BEagle, hope you are well. Bet you nearly choked with joy at this latest nugget of information you posted, I sometimes wonder if it is you that is feeding all this information to the newspapers in your one man vendetta to bring BAe Systems down.
All of which just goes to show how daft it is when a company with a recognisable and understandable name (such as, say, British Aerospace, or BAe for short) decides to rename itself as an acronym, which, even 7 years later, most people get wrong most of the time. And it seems as if such a company (called, perhaps BAES) continues to get quite grumpy when people get it wrong. And continues to point out that the letters of its acronym don't stand for anything.
And, of course, if you get it wrong, it's your fault.
airsound
shortly to become just ASS, because that's how we corporate chaps demonstrate that we're 'going forward'. (Don't forget the letters don't stand for anything)
And, of course, if you get it wrong, it's your fault.
airsound
shortly to become just ASS, because that's how we corporate chaps demonstrate that we're 'going forward'. (Don't forget the letters don't stand for anything)
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Jimmy,
Not worth getting into a sh!t kicking contest but on the renaming of British Aerospace it became BAe Systems. Where all the upper case came from I know not. Probably some journalists couldn't be arrsed changing from upper to lower case.
airsound,
When briefed by a Director some years ago he made the same statement. It's not an acromyn, it doesn't stand for anything. Lots of bemused folks. 
Signed:
Another BAE Systems employee. Not for long though.
Not worth getting into a sh!t kicking contest but on the renaming of British Aerospace it became BAe Systems. Where all the upper case came from I know not. Probably some journalists couldn't be arrsed changing from upper to lower case.
airsound,
And continues to point out that the letters of its acronym don't stand for anything.
Signed:
Another BAE Systems employee. Not for long though.
Interesting point, Echo. My COD (sorry, Concise Oxford Dictionary) defines acronym as
Well..... I'm sure the BA was originally formed from other words' initials, but as for the E.....
I guess you must be right, it's not an acronym, since BAE does evidently no longer stand for anything....
What a good thing we've nothing better to discuss, apart from MR2, MRA4, lawyers on ESF, JPA, JSF, JCA etc
airsound
word formed from the initial letters of other words
I guess you must be right, it's not an acronym, since BAE does evidently no longer stand for anything....
What a good thing we've nothing better to discuss, apart from MR2, MRA4, lawyers on ESF, JPA, JSF, JCA etc
airsound
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airsound,
Absolutely, but it does does move away from BEagles one man vendetta which is now becoming somewhat tedious.
What a good thing we've nothing better to discuss
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British Aerospace it became BAe Systems
I don't necessarily agree with the corporate brand BS but I do think that employees should at least get it right. To help, the company has this useful and informative website
BAE Systems brand
As employees, it is about the only thing we can discuss. I was involved in MRA4 but I am not in a position to divulge anything I may know about it. (Fortunately, there are so many other "experts" on here anyway)