Fraud office wins appeal over BAE Saudi arms deal
PA
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
The Serious Fraud Office won its Law Lords appeal today against a court ruling that it acted unlawfully in halting a corruption inquiry into a lucrative arms deal between Saudi Arabia and BAE Systems.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) took the case to the House of Lords after the High Court upheld a legal challenge brought by anti-corruption campaign groups.
Jonathan Sumption QC, for the SFO, told five Law Lords at a hearing this month that its director made a "legal and appropriate" decision to stop the inquiry in late 2006 after receiving threats from the Saudi Arabian government to withhold cooperation on critical issues of anti-terrorism.
"The SFO director was convinced that Saudi Arabia wasn't bluffing," he said.
In April, two judges in the High Court ruled that the Saudi threat was a "successful attempt by a foreign government to pervert the course of justice in the United Kingdom".
Lord Justice Moses and Mr Justice Sullivan said the SFO and the Government made an "abject surrender" to "blatant threats".
Lords overturn Saudi probe ruling
The House of Lords has ruled that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) acted lawfully when it halted its investigation into a Saudi arms deal.
