Thursday, 15 March 2007
UK GOVERNMENT TO BE INVESTIGATED BY OECD OVER CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION

15 March 2007: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced yesterday that it will send inspectors to examine the Serious Fraud Office’s decision to terminate its investigation into an arms deal between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia.

The OECD is acting in its role as the enforcement body of a global treaty, signed by Britain in 1998, that prohibits payments of bribes to foreign officials. According to The Guardian newspaper, the inspectors are expected to question Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General, and other senior officials to determine whether the SFO’s decision is in breach of the treaty. They will also seek to ascertain why Britain has yet to prosecute any British companies for bribery offences, amidst OECD accusations that Britain’s laws against foreign corruption are insufficient.

UNA-UK welcomes this development, which follows strong representation by UNA-UK to the government about the SFO’s decision, including a letter sent by its Chair, Lord Hannay, on 16 January 2007, and a subsequent meeting with the Foreign Secretary on 23 January.

To read the letter that UNA-UK sent to the Foreign Secretary, click here.