Document seen by the Guardian suggests US law firm influenced investigation into £43bn deal between UK and Saudi ArabiaThe outcome of a US criminal investigation into alleged bribery in a £43bn arms deal between Britain and Saudi Arabia was watered down following a secret lobbying campaign, according to a leaked document. The discussions took place in the runup to the DoJ’s completion in 2010 of an investigation into the deal between Saudi Arabia and Britain’s biggest arms firm, BAE. At least one prince alleged to have accepted a bribe in the arms deal was among 30 senior Saudis held under house arrest at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh. Britain and Saudi Arabia have long sought to keep secret details of the arms deal known as al-Yamamah, which involved planes and other military equipment. Allegations that BAE used illicit payments to land the al-Yamamah contract – Britain’s biggest-ever arms deal – surfaced soon after it was sealed in 1985.

Source: The Guardian March 06, 2018 12:57 UTC