UK: Fighter aircraft fraud probe ends (Saudi blackmail succeeds)

[muriel_volestrangler]

The Serious Fraud Office has ended its corruption inquiry into a £6bn fighter planes deal with Saudi Arabia.

Attorney General Lord Goldsmith said the SFO was "discontinuing" its investigation into Britain's biggest defence company, BAE Systems.
...
Lord Goldsmith also told peers that Prime Minister Tony Blair had agreed that the continuation of the investigation would cause "serious damage" to relations between the UK and Saudi Arabia.

It emerged earlier this month that French and Saudi officials were in talks over a possible alternative deal, which could scupper the BAE sale.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6180945.stm

Mark Thatcher will be breathing easier - he first made his money with dubious commissions in this swamp of bribes.

[Kagemusha]

1. Impressive.

Rarely does blackmail succeed in such an open fashion. Well, "blackmail" may not be the ideal term for something right out in the sunlight like this. More like bribery. Or what they used to call "white mail" (which in this day and age would be regarded as the same thing as bribes).

[Barrett808]

2. "'Blackmail' is such an ugly word. I prefer 'extortion'."

"The 'X' makes it sound cool." --Bender

[Henny Penny]

3. Sorry Muriel... just duped you!

and whay about this line???

"Lord Goldsmith told the Lords he thought that a prosecution "could not be brought".

He said the decision had been made in the wider public interest, which had to be balanced against the rule of law. "