SFO raids four premises in BAE contracts probe
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I find it hard to believe that so many posters here are so critical of one of the few successful manufacturing companies left in the UK. Nobody says they are perfect and they have had to admit to resorting to using money in a dodgy way to support the Saudi contract. But that was, and is, a contract that has created a great deal of wealth for the UK and a considerable influence in the industries of Saudi.
I hope most of the critical posts are from the French and the Americans because they are the people we had to compete with and they are the only ones to gain from BAE Systems discomfort. I hope we don't have too many Brits here determined to score own goals.
I hope most of the critical posts are from the French and the Americans because they are the people we had to compete with and they are the only ones to gain from BAE Systems discomfort. I hope we don't have too many Brits here determined to score own goals.
There are two inescapable facts here;
1.BAeS (and other companies) conduct their business in a world where backhanders are routine.
2.MoD, and other Government departments, know this.
What could have nipped this in the bud? Both sides acknowledging it? But, because the latter (Government) stood back, perhaps for a higher reason, BAeS had to decide what to do. They chose denial, which was always implausible. If they had challenged the Government (and Customers) to support them, and offered what one assumes is a raft of supporting evidence that both knew, then I suppose they would have been concerned about future business.
I imagine there are many in MoD who simply don’t know what to make of this. On the very first project I managed when I joined MoD(PE) I inherited a little problem. Briefly, a well known company told me I’d have to agree to a backhander to an African supplier if my entire aircraft fleet was not to be grounded inside 2 weeks, with no chance of a solution inside 2 years. I was asked how much I’d be prepared to cough up. Of course, it was simply subsumed within the “quotation” and only one person in the Service knew what happened – all they saw was a sudden and inexplicable improvement in front line availability. A minor episode, and I don’t imagine for one minute it is unique. Point being, the company, who had known me for about ten minutes, felt entirely comfortable revealing this side of their business. Not in the same league as BAeS’s billions, but the same principle.
1.BAeS (and other companies) conduct their business in a world where backhanders are routine.
2.MoD, and other Government departments, know this.
What could have nipped this in the bud? Both sides acknowledging it? But, because the latter (Government) stood back, perhaps for a higher reason, BAeS had to decide what to do. They chose denial, which was always implausible. If they had challenged the Government (and Customers) to support them, and offered what one assumes is a raft of supporting evidence that both knew, then I suppose they would have been concerned about future business.
I imagine there are many in MoD who simply don’t know what to make of this. On the very first project I managed when I joined MoD(PE) I inherited a little problem. Briefly, a well known company told me I’d have to agree to a backhander to an African supplier if my entire aircraft fleet was not to be grounded inside 2 weeks, with no chance of a solution inside 2 years. I was asked how much I’d be prepared to cough up. Of course, it was simply subsumed within the “quotation” and only one person in the Service knew what happened – all they saw was a sudden and inexplicable improvement in front line availability. A minor episode, and I don’t imagine for one minute it is unique. Point being, the company, who had known me for about ten minutes, felt entirely comfortable revealing this side of their business. Not in the same league as BAeS’s billions, but the same principle.
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A few years ago, a large USA aircraft company was accused of bribery. A senior company rep was interviewed on UK TV, and he said that it was not "bribery", but "extortion".
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Daily Telegraph report
Documents identifying prosecution witnesses in a case against defence contractor BAE Systems turned up at a cannabis farm in east London after being lost by the Serious Fraud Office, it has emerged.
