BAE to face new bribes probe in US

Executives to be quizzed by Congressional panels
Senior BAE Systems executives are likely to face questioning by powerful Congressional committees in Washington over continuing UK investigations into allegations that the company bribed foreign officials in pursuit of arms deals.

Staff from the foreign affairs committees of the US Senate and House of Representatives are expected to write to the company, led by chief executive Mike Turner, before the end of the current Congressional session in two weeks to request meetings with executives.

BAE, the sixth-largest contractor to the Pentagon, can expect a rough ride in Congress as it seeks to clear the £2bn purchase of Armor Holdings, the company that makes armour for the Humvee military vehicle, announced last week.

Congressional aides told The Observer they were briefed on Tuesday by officials from the US State Department on investigations by the Serious Fraud Office into allegations of bribery relating to the £40bn al-Yamamah deal with Saudi Arabia, controversially halted in December, and continuing probes into deals with Tanzania, the Czech Republic, South Africa, Chile, Qatar and Romania.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,2078215,00.html