International   

Blair put pressure in arms deal probe: plea

LONDON: The former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, put “irresistible pressure” on investigators and “stepped over the boundaries of what was permissible” to call off a criminal investigation into allegations of corruption surrounding an arms deal with Saudi Arabia, the High Court here has been told.

The Court is hearing an appeal from two anti-arms campaign groups — Corner House Research and the Campaign Against Arms — who want the investigation to be resumed.

The case relates to accusations that BAE Systems, Britain’s biggest arms supplier, paid more than £1 billion in bribes to members of the Saudi royal family to clinch a £43-billion defence deal in 1985.

Prince Bandar, son of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and former Ambassador to Washington, is among those accused of benefiting from the alleged “kickbacks.” The BAE as well as the Prince have denied any wrongdoing.

Britain’s Serious Fraud Office was investigating the allegations when Mr. Blair personally intervened in December 2006 to call it off on grounds of “national security” amid reports that the Saudi government had threatened to stop sharing terror-related intelligence if the probe went ahead. It also reportedly threatened to cancel a multi-billion pound arms contract it was then negotiating with the BAE.

The Guardian reported on Friday that according to “previous secret files” investigators were told that Britain faced “another 7/7” if the Saudis carried out their threat to stop sharing intelligence.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

MQM warns of Army “reaction”
Poll observers prepare to be “soldiers for democracy”
“Wanni drive yielding results”
Blair put pressure in arms deal probe: plea
The saviour handshake
Direct flight to Pakistan from Chennai
Kanishka: Canada denies racism in investigations

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu