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10/04/2008
High Court Reprimand SFO
The Serious Fraud Office's (SFO) decision to drop a corruption investigation has been ruled by the High Court as unlawful.
The SFO launched an inquiry into alleged payments made by BAE - a global defence and aerospace company - to Saudi officials to secure contracts.
However in December 2006, Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general at that time aborted the investigation allegedly under pressure from the Government.
Lord Goldsmith had said that the continuation of the investigation would threaten national security.
It is also believed that Saudi Arabia had threatened to cancel a deal to supply BAE with Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft if the inquiry was allowed to continue.
Lord Justice Moses and Mr Justice Sullivan in their ruling said that SFO director Robert Wardle failed to make sure that he had met "the rule of law".
Lord Moses said: "No one, whether within this country or outside, is entitled to interfere with the course of justice.
"It is the failure of government and the defendant to bear that essential principle in mind that justifies the intervention of the court."
The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) are said to be "delighted" with the ruling.
Symon Hill from CAAT said: "It has been from the start that the dropping of the investigation was about neither national security nor jobs. It was due to the influence of BAE and Saudi princes over the UK government."
BAE released a statement saying: "The case was between two campaign groups and the director of the SFO. It concerned the legality of a decision made by the director of the SFO. BAE Systems played no part in that decision."
Judges involved in the ruling have said that they will listen to further arguments but have not said whether or not the case will be reopened.
(DS/JM)
The SFO launched an inquiry into alleged payments made by BAE - a global defence and aerospace company - to Saudi officials to secure contracts.
However in December 2006, Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general at that time aborted the investigation allegedly under pressure from the Government.
Lord Goldsmith had said that the continuation of the investigation would threaten national security.
It is also believed that Saudi Arabia had threatened to cancel a deal to supply BAE with Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft if the inquiry was allowed to continue.
Lord Justice Moses and Mr Justice Sullivan in their ruling said that SFO director Robert Wardle failed to make sure that he had met "the rule of law".
Lord Moses said: "No one, whether within this country or outside, is entitled to interfere with the course of justice.
"It is the failure of government and the defendant to bear that essential principle in mind that justifies the intervention of the court."
The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) are said to be "delighted" with the ruling.
Symon Hill from CAAT said: "It has been from the start that the dropping of the investigation was about neither national security nor jobs. It was due to the influence of BAE and Saudi princes over the UK government."
BAE released a statement saying: "The case was between two campaign groups and the director of the SFO. It concerned the legality of a decision made by the director of the SFO. BAE Systems played no part in that decision."
Judges involved in the ruling have said that they will listen to further arguments but have not said whether or not the case will be reopened.
(DS/JM)
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