London, Feb 6, IRNA — The UK is being urged to reopen corruption investigations into the country’s largest defence manufacturer after BAE Systems agreed a plea bargain to pay a record criminal corporate fine to close US inquiries.
“The company’s admission obviously calls into question its repeated denials of any wrong doing,” said Nicholas Hildyard for the social justice campaign group, The Corner House.
“Far from drawing a line under the allegations, today’s announcement simply raises far more questions and creates yet further demands for justice,” Hildyard said.
He called for the reopening of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation into bribery allegations surrounding BAE’s multi-billion al-Yamamah contract with Saudi Arabia, Britain’s biggest-ever arms deal.
To end the US inquiry, BAE Friday admitted two criminal charges and agreed to pay fines of £286m ($447m) over its worldwide conduct after refusing for 20 years to admit any wrongdoings.
In the UK, investigations were abruptly halted by former prime minister Tony Blair in 2006 citing it was in the interests of national security after Saudi Arabia was reported to have threatened to withdraw cooperation with Britain.
The settlement was also criticised by former defence minister Peter Kilfoyle, saying that it raises “serious questions” on what Blair’s motivation was in intervening and what influences were brought to bear on him.
“I certainly think there is now an argument to be made for an independent judicial inquiry into the whole affair,” Kilfoyle said.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Vince Cable, said that BAE Systems had succeeded in ensuring that key details of its arms deals would remain hidden.
“The British government was up to its neck in this whole business. Government ministers were almost certainly fully aware of what was happening,” Cable said.
The al-Yamamah deal, based around supplying Saudi Arabia with its fleet of Tornado fighters, dates back to the 1980s and was reportedly worth more than £40 billion.