SFO looking for talks with BAE Systems
The Serious Fraud Office has this evening offered to talk with BAE Systems regarding bribery allegations in a last ditch attempt to avoid what could be a very embarrassing court case for all players involved. As we mentioned last become, BAE Systems is being taken to court by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) years after allegations of bribery and corruption materialised in the Middle East.
Despite the fact that the UK government has until now rejected calls for an independent report to be released to the public it would appear that Gordon Brown has given the SFO the go-ahead to take legal action. However, for those who have been following the case, which involves a major UK defence company, there were allegations of political intervention after the initial investigation was closed-down, the contents of which were never revealed.
BAE Systems has apparently indicated it is willing to settle any potential fines instigated by the SFO although the company is not prepared to admit guilt. In what would be a win-win situation for all involved, an around the table chat which saw BAE Systems publicly censored by the regulator would appear to be the best course of action. However, this is the UK government we are talking about!
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