Corruption is a Crime

The Guardian reports that US Department of Justice officials investigating bribery and corruption allegations in relation to the Al-Yamamah arms deal between BAE and Saudi Arabia have issued a subpoena to BAE’s business development director Alan Garwood:

Until last year, Garwood led a team of 600 civil servants at the Defence Export Service Organisation at the MoD, where he worked on projects including last year’s deal to sell Eurofighter Typhoons to Saudi Arabia. He was seconded to the MoD from BAE in 2002.

That secondment reinforces the suggestion that the relationship between the MoD and BAE is too close.

BAE chief executive Mike Turner and non-executive director Sir Nigel Rudd had already been issued with subpoenas.