Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

October 9 (EIRNS)—The British Serious Fraud Office, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph on Oct. 8, is considering dropping the South African case if it proceeds to a full prosecution of BAE Systems. This appears to be another cover-up, since the South Africa case involves the high-level players in the BAE affair, the same ones who were involved in the Saudi Al Yamamah deal with Prince Bandar. This is also under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, and has been exposed in EIR as creating an enormous slush fund to finance dirty operations internationally, including wars and terrorism.

BAE is accused of using bribery for winning several major multibillion-dollar defense contracts, including Hawk jet training aircraft and Saab Gripen fighter-bombers. The case, while it might be delicate from the internal South African political point of view, nonetheless involves some of the same British-linked circles who were directly involved in the Al Yamamah.

In its Dec. 8, 2008 issue (BAE Money Trail Leads to Thatcher), EIR reported on recent raids conducted by South African authorities targeting offices of BAE as well as alleged bribe facilitators and money handlers. The investigations exposed a trail that went right to the same circles associated with Margaret Thatcher who had negotiated the original Al Yamamah deal. The trial led to Lord Charles Powell, the brother of Tony Blair's controller, Jonathan Powell. Lord Powell is business a partner of Saudi fixer Wafic Said and was directly involved in negotiating the Al Yamamah deal. Others include arms dealer John Bredenkamp, who also enjoyed contacts with Thatcher circles.

The Telegraph reports that the SFO would still rather settle out of court, something that would, in effect, bury all the cases except that of the U.S. Justice Department.