Publication: The Star Issued: Date: 2007-01-18 Reporter: Karyn Mayghan Reporter: Boyd Web Reporter: Fiona Forde

SA Arms Deal : Blair Attacked

 

Publication 

The Star
Date

2007-01-18

Reporter

Karyn Mayghan
Boyd Webb
Fiona Forde  

Web Link

www.thestar.co.za

 

Prime minister's involvement in R30bn sale raised in UK parliament

British opposition parties have called on Prime Minister Tony Blair to come clean over his involvement in a controversial R30-billion arms deal between the South African government and British arms manufacturers BAe.

As part of the deal, it has been widely alleged that R1-billion was paid in commissions to a number of South African business leaders and politicians.

Liberal Democrats leader Menzies Campbell told The Star last night: "The British government and the prime minister must give assurances that they will provide all the support required for the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to conclude its investigations involving BAe and South Africa".

The deal dates back to 1999, when BAe won a contract to supply SA with military aircraft, including 24 Hawk fighter trainers, at allegedly double the price of a rival Italian bidder.

The matter was raised in the British parliament yesterday, where Campbell challenged Blair on the issue, including controversial deals that were also struck with Saudi Arabia and Tanzania.

But Blair insisted he was acting in the best interest of the public, with their concerns at heart, "and the thousands of jobs" created as a result of the multibillion-pound deals.

However, British journalist David Leigh, of The Guardian newspaper, who has written in detail about the BAe scandal and Blair's involvement in it, told The Star yesterday that Blair had travelled the length and breadth of the world promoting sales on behalf of BAe that had little to do with British interests.

"He has travelled to South Africa to sell Hawk planes. He has promoted the sales of military radar to Tanzania. He promoted Hawk aircraft to India. And he even bullied the Czech government into buying Gripen planes which BAe was marketing.

"And basically everywhere he has gone, he has left a trail of corruption in his wake," Leigh alleged.

"But the truth of the matter," contends Leigh, "is that BAe has influence with a large number of politicians. For example, Lord Charles Powell is on BAe's payroll. Powell's brother, Jonathan, is Tony Blair's chief of staff. Now you draw your own conclusions," he said.

Speculation over Blair's involvement comes as the South African government finds itself under renewed pressure by British and German investigators to step up the investigation. Six years on, they are still probing the alleged payment of massive kickbacks to heavyweights in the government and business.

But it seems the state is in no hurry to provide the British government with help in tracking R1-billion in "commissions" allegedly paid by BAe to eight South African businesses and a political adviser since 1992.

Senior BAe executives, including chief executive Mike Turner and former chairperson Dick Evans, were named on Tuesday as suspects in the SFO's corruption investigation.

Six months after the SFO asked for help from South African authorities, however, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is still sitting on the request.

Equatorial Guinea's request to question Mark Thatcher about his role in an alleged coup plot in the oil-rich country took less than a week to be approved by Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla.

While such requests are usually okayed by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Justice Department spokesperson Zolile Nqayi yesterday said his office was "not aware of any request".

NPA spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi confirmed that a request had been received, but said it was "still being dealt with".

Scorpions spokesperson Lucinda Moonieya yesterday said that "whatever assistance (the SFO) request, we will give them".

As yet, the NPA has been unable to give any timeframes for the processing of the request.

Retired judge Willem Heath, who was excluded from investigating the arms deal by President Thabo Mbeki in January 2001, said he was "not surprised" that British authorities were still waiting for co-operation from the South African government.

"They can hardly co-operate when doing so would be a concession that there was something to investigate.

"Should the South African government continue to not co-operate with the British authorities, however, it will have seriously repercussions for our relationship with the UK.

"Why should they help our justice authorities when we have seemingly failed to assist them?" said Heath.

He said he had "mixed feelings" about the international arms deal investigations.

"I'm grateful that there is proof out there … but nobody likes to be told that their country is corrupt, especially when it is another country that is telling them," he said.

Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille, who, like Heath, has been at the centre of the arms scandal since she released her dossier in parliament in September 1999, announced yesterday that she is to fly to England and Germany to meet investigators.

"I will be flying to London shortly to meet with the Serious Fraud Office and to Germany to meet their National Prosecuting Authority for discussions over the arms deal enquiry," she said.

With acknowledgment to Karyn Mayghan, Boyd Webb, Fiona Forde and The Star.