Editing BAE Systems (section)

===Serious Fraud Office===
BAE Systems has been investigated by the [[Serious Fraud Office (United Kingdom)|Serious Fraud Office]] (SFO) for the use of corruption to help sell arms to Chile, Czech Republic, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tanzania and Qatar.<ref name= "SevenCountries">{{Cite news |first=Paddy |last=Allen |title=Seven countries where BAE have been undec investigated – Bribing for Britain? |date=1 October 2009 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2007/jun/07/bae.global.investigations |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=24 October 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091004210540/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2007/jun/07/bae.global.investigations |archive-date= 4 October 2009 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref name="GordonIntervene">{{Cite news |first=David |last=Leigh |title= BAe bribery case: MP urges Gordon Brown to intervene |date= 12 October 2009 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/oct/12/bae-bribery-case-brown-intervene |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=24 October 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091015062957/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/12/bae-bribery-case-brown-intervene |archive-date= 15 October 2009 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref name="solicitorgeneral">{{Cite news |title= BAE in several corruption probes |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6339625.stm |publisher=BBC |date= 7 February 2007 |access-date=15 February 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070219035846/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6339625.stm |archive-date= 19 February 2007 |url-status= live}}</ref> In response, BAE Systems' 2006 [[Corporate Responsibility Report]] states "We continue to reject these allegations... We take our obligations under the law extremely seriously and will continue to comply with all legal requirements around the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://investors.baesystems.com/~/media/Files/B/Bae-Systems-Investor-Relations-V3/PDFs/ims/2006-corporate-responsibility-report.pdf |title=Corporate Responsibility Report 2006 |access-date=7 September 2007 |publisher=BAE Systems plc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130061707/http://investors.baesystems.com/~/media/Files/B/Bae-Systems-Investor-Relations-V3/PDFs/ims/2006-corporate-responsibility-report.pdf |archive-date=30 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2007 [[Lord Woolf]] was selected to lead what the BBC described as an "independent review.... [an] ethics committee to look into how the defence giant conducts its arms deals".<ref>{{cite news |title=Lord Woolf to head BAE's review |work=BBC News |date=11 June 2007 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6739805.stm |access-date=12 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420083048/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6739805.stm |archive-date=20 April 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> The report, ''Ethical business conduct in BAE Systems plc – the way forward'', made 23 recommendations, measures which the company committed to implement. The finding stated that "in the past BAE did not pay sufficient attention to ethical standards in the way it conducted business", and was described by the BBC as "an embarrassing admission".<ref>{{cite news |title=BAE review seeks bribery controls |work=BBC News |date=6 May 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7384937.stm |access-date=12 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511101406/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7384937.stm |archive-date=11 May 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2009, the SFO announced that it intended to prosecute BAE Systems for offences relating to overseas corruption. ''[[The Guardian]]'' claimed that a penalty more than £500 million might be an acceptable settlement package.<ref>{{Cite news|title=SFO seeks BAE prosecution over bribery claims |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/oct/01/bae-sfo-bribery-allegations-prosecution |work=The Guardian |location=UK |date=1 October 2009 |first=David |last=Leigh |access-date=1 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004210503/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/01/bae-sfo-bribery-allegations-prosecution |archive-date=4 October 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 5 February 2010, BAE Systems agreed to pay criminal fines of £257 million (US$400 million) to the US and £30 million to the UK.<ref>{{Cite news |title=BAE admits guilt over corrupt arms deals |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/feb/05/bae-systems-arms-deal-corruption |work=The Guardian |location=UK |date=6 February 2010 |first=David |last=Leigh |access-date=7 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209002847/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/05/bae-systems-arms-deal-corruption |archive-date=9 February 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> The $400 million fine was a result of a plea bargain with the [[US Department of Justice]] (DOJ) whereby BAE Systems was convicted of felony conspiracy to defraud the United States government. This was one of the largest fines in the history of the DOJ. Judge Bates said the company's conduct involved "deception, duplicity and knowing violations of law, I think it's fair to say, on an enormous scale".<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 March 2010 |title=BAE Systems PLC Pleads Guilty and Ordered to Pay $400&nbsp;Million Criminal Fine |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/March/10-crm-209.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128164521/http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/March/10-crm-209.html |archive-date=28 November 2010 |access-date=18 December 2010 |work=US Department of Justice press release |location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/bae-protesters-win-sfo-injunction-1914892.html |title=BAE protesters win SFO injunction |first=Alistair |last=Dawber |date=3 March 2010 |work=The Independent |location=UK |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100306234822/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/bae-protesters-win-sfo-injunction-1914892.html |archive-date=6 March 2010 |url-status= live}}</ref> BAE Systems did not directly admit to bribery, and is thus not internationally blacklisted from future contracts. Some of the £30 million penalty the company will pay in fines to the UK will be paid ''ex gratia'' for the benefit of the people of Tanzania.<ref>{{Cite news|title=BAE admits guilt over corrupt arms deals |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/feb/05/bae-systems-arms-deal-corruption |work= The Guardian |location=UK |date= 6 February 2010 |access-date=20 February 2010 |first=David |last=Leigh |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100209002847/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/05/bae-systems-arms-deal-corruption |archive-date=9 February 2010 |url-status= live}}</ref> On 2 March 2010, [[Campaign Against Arms Trade]] (CAAT) and [[The Corner House (organisation)|Corner House Research]] were successful in gaining a High Court injunction on the SFO's settlement with BAE Systems; however, in April 2010 the two organisations withdrew their application for a [[Judicial review in English law|judicial review]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 April 2010|title=Campaigners Continue to Raise Concerns About SFO-BAE Settlement Process|url=https://caat.org.uk/news/2010-04-08-2/|access-date=30 December 2020|website=caat.org.uk}}</ref>