Editing BAE Systems (section)

===Saudi Arabia===
[[File:Parking RSAF Tornado in 1991.jpg|thumb|One of 24 [[Panavia Tornado ADV]]s delivered to the [[Royal Saudi Air Force]] as part of the [[Al-Yamamah arms deal|Al-Yamamah arms sales]]]]
{{main|Al-Yamamah arms deal}}

Both BAE Systems and its predecessor (BAe) have long been the subject of allegations of bribery in relation to its business in Saudi Arabia. The UK [[National Audit Office (United Kingdom)|National Audit Office]] (NAO) investigated the Al Yamamah contracts and has so far not published its conclusions, the only NAO report ever to be withheld.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Gideon |last=Burrows |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/aug/08/saudiarabia.usa |title=Out of arms way |work=The Guardian |location=London |publisher=Guardian Newspapers |date=8 August 2003 |access-date=1 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827062401/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/aug/08/saudiarabia.usa |archive-date=27 August 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The MoD has stated "The report remains sensitive. Disclosure would harm both international relations and the UK's commercial interests."<ref name="SFO">{{Cite news |first=David |last=Leigh |last2=Evans |first2=Rob |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/jul/25/houseofcommons.armstrade |title=Parliamentary auditor hampers police inquiry into arms deal |work=The Guardian |location=London |publisher=Guardian Newspapers |date=25 July 2006 |access-date=12 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830070627/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/jul/25/houseofcommons.armstrade |archive-date=30 August 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The company has been accused of maintaining a £60&nbsp;million Saudi [[slush fund]]. In November 2006, Saudi Arabia put pressure on the British government to end the SFO investigation by suspending negotiations over a new deal for seventy-two Typhoon fighter jets.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wearing |first=David |title=AngloArabia: Why Gulf Wealth Matters to Britain |date=28 November 2018 |publisher=Polity Press |isbn=9781509532032 |location=Cambridge, UK |pages=P168-169 |oclc=1027067212}}</ref> On 14 December 2006 it was announced that the SFO was "discontinuing" its investigation into the company. It stated that representations to its director and the [[Attorney General for England and Wales|Attorney General]] [[Peter Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith|Lord Goldsmith]] had led to the conclusion that the wider public interest "to safeguard national and international security" outweighed any potential benefits of further investigation.<ref>{{cite news |title= Saudi defence deal probe ditched |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6181949.stm|work=BBC News |date= 15 December 2006 |access-date=2 March 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070209004812/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6181949.stm |archive-date= 9 February 2007 |url-status= live}}</ref> The termination of the investigation has been controversial.<ref>{{cite news |title= 'Great damage' of BAE deal ruling |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6319833.stm|work=BBC News |date= 1 February 2007 |access-date=2 February 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070203050908/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6319833.stm |archive-date= 3 February 2007 |url-status= live}}</ref> In June 2007, the BBC's [[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]] alleged BAE Systems "paid hundreds of millions of pounds to the ex-Saudi ambassador to the US, [[Prince Bandar bin Sultan]]" in return for his role in the Al Yamamah deals.<ref>{{cite news |title=Saudi prince 'received arms cash' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6728773.stm |work=BBC News |date=7 June 2007|access-date=8 September 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071007015511/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6728773.stm |archive-date= 7 October 2007 |url-status= live}}</ref> In late June 2007 the DOJ began a formal investigation into BAE's compliance with anti-corruption laws.<ref>{{Cite news|first=David|last=Robertson|last2=Baldwin |first2=Tom|title=US Justice Department to scrutinise BAE's Saudi deals|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article1991236.ece|work=[[The Times]]|location=London|date=27 June 2007|access-date=7 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616015546/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article1991236.ece|archive-date=16 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 19 May 2008 BAE Systems confirmed that its CEO Mike Turner and non-executive director [[Nigel Rudd]] had been detained "for about 20 minutes" at two US airports the previous week and that the DOJ had issued "a number of additional subpoenas in the US to employees of BAE Systems plc and BAE Systems Inc as part of its ongoing investigation".<ref name="dojdetentions">{{Cite news |first=Suzy |last=Jagger |title=BAE accused of being uncooperative with US investigators |url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article3964882.ece |work=[[The Times]] |location=London |date=19 May 2008 |access-date=19 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612062912/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article3964882.ece |archive-date=12 June 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''The Times'' suggested that such "humiliating behaviour by the DOJ" is unusual toward a company that is co-operating fully.<ref name="dojdetentions"/>

A judicial review of the decision by the SFO to drop the investigation was granted on 9 November 2007.<ref>{{cite news |title=Court to study BAE fraud decision |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7086997.stm |work=BBC News |date=9 November 2007 |access-date=4 December 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090413185804/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7086997.stm|archive-date=13 April 2009 |url-status= live}}</ref> On 10 April 2008 the High Court ruled that the SFO "acted unlawfully" by dropping its investigation.<ref>{{cite news |title=SFO unlawful in ending BAE probe |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7339231.stm|work=BBC News |date= 10 April 2008|access-date=18 April 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080415132726/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7339231.stm |archive-date= 15 April 2008 |url-status= live}}</ref> ''The Times'' described the ruling as "one of the most strongly worded judicial attacks on government action" which condemned how "ministers 'buckled' to 'blatant threats' that Saudi cooperation in the fight against terrorism would end unless the ...investigation was dropped."<ref>{{Cite news |first=Frances |last=Gibb |last2=Webster |first2=Philip |title=High Court rules that the halt to BAE investigation was 'unlawful, a threat to British justice' |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3724411.ece |work=[[The Times]] |location=London |date=11 April 2008 |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429094628/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3724411.ece |archive-date=29 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> On 24 April the SFO was granted leave to appeal to the House of Lords against the ruling.<ref>{{cite news |title=SFO allowed to contest BAE ruling |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7364622.stm|work=BBC News |date= 24 April 2008 |access-date=24 April 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080429201527/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7364622.stm |archive-date= 29 April 2008 |url-status= live}}</ref> There was a two-day hearing before the Lords on 7 and 8 July 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Rob|last=Evans|last2=Leigh|first2=David |title=Government 'did not try' to fend off Saudi inquiry threats |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/jul/09/houseofcommons.saudiarabia |work=The Guardian |location=London |publisher=Guardian Newspapers |date=9 July 2008 |access-date=25 July 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080712224810/http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/09/houseofcommons.saudiarabia |archive-date= 12 July 2008 |url-status= live}}</ref> On 30 July the House of Lords unanimously overturned the High Court ruling, stating that the decision to discontinue the investigation was lawful.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lords overturn Saudi probe ruling |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7532714.stm|work=BBC News |date= 30 July 2008 |access-date=30 July 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081022041237/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7532714.stm|archive-date=22 October 2008 |url-status= live}}</ref>