Don't investigate how we bribe them! They may get angry! From the Khaleej Times, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
LONDON — The attorney-general, Lord Goldsmith, has been asked to block a criminal investigation into allegations that Britain's biggest defence company ran a £60 million slush fund to support the extravagant lifestyle of Saudi businessmen and members of the Saudi royal family.Goldsmith has been asked by government officials to examine whether the inquiry by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the slush fund allegedly run by BAE Company is “in the public interest.”
They fear it could provoke Saudi Arabia into pulling out of Britain's biggest export contract.
Well placed legal sources say that the Saudis are becoming increasingly alarmed about the inquiry, which is examining how the fund was used to provide Saudi princes and princesses with luxury holidays, Rolls-Royces, rented apartments and other perks. The government decision was taken after the Saudi government had expressed dissatisfaction over the investigation.
And they are being sold weapons to protect from?
The British government is rotten with corruption.
The deputy leader of the Labour Party, John Prescott, who claimed he did not know about loans to his party, himself accepted £3.3 million from developers, whom he afterwards did favours for:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=XY4SVB1V2JMXPQFIQMGSFF4AVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2006/03/26/nloans26.xml&sSheet=/portal/2006/03/26/ixportaltop.html
These men sold their country down the river; they are not worth the time of day.
I think perhaps the British Government is as corrupt as any others and also less than some.
Buying contracts, otherwise known as greasing palms, has been going on in this firm for a very long time. Little wonder the investigation is being blocked. People don't like being 'outed'.
BAck when the Grauniad was a newspaper, it actually managed to nail the hide of a corrupt Tory minister and his Saudi friends to the wall, proving in a court of law that bribes of enormous size had been given and taken. The Tory minister - Jonathan Aitken - went to jail, and the disgraced Saudi prince turned on his middleman and robbed him of all the loot he had made. These days, of course, the Grauniad does not even dream of doing such things to the current gang, er, government.
Perks? What perks could these leaches possibly want. They have every thing they need and want under the hot saudi sun, including gold toilet seats and servants. They already have an extravagant lifestyle most of us never dream of. What incredible greed.
Sheesh, we're looking at British Baksheesh.
They have every thing they need and want under the hot saudi sun, including gold toilet seats and servants.
Mustang, don't forget about the slaves. And the sex slaves.
There should be no surprise about this. The bribery (in one form or another) is common business practice in the Kingdom for ANYONE wanting to do business here.
BAE was just more blatent than usual.