British official denies concealing payment to Saudi prince
Sunday, 10 June 2007
LONDON, June 9 (AFP): Britain's top legal officer denied yesterday that he concealed large payments made to a Saudi prince from an international anti-bribery watchdog probing a giant arms deal.
The Guardian newspaper alleged that Attorney General Peter Goldsmith knew about the existence of payments totalling more than one billion pounds (two billion dollars, 1.5 billion euros) to Prince Bandar bin Sultan.
It said he ordered domestic fraud investigators to conceal it from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), investigating the so-called Al-Yamamah deal.
Goldsmith, the government's most senior legal advisor, insisted the allegation was false.
"It's absolutely untrue that I ordered investigators to conceal payments from the OECD.... It is categorically denied and I stand by that," he told the BBC.
Goldsmith refused to say if he knew about any such payments as alleged, citing reasons of confidentiality and national security.
The Guardian newspaper alleged that Attorney General Peter Goldsmith knew about the existence of payments totalling more than one billion pounds (two billion dollars, 1.5 billion euros) to Prince Bandar bin Sultan.
It said he ordered domestic fraud investigators to conceal it from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), investigating the so-called Al-Yamamah deal.
Goldsmith, the government's most senior legal advisor, insisted the allegation was false.
"It's absolutely untrue that I ordered investigators to conceal payments from the OECD.... It is categorically denied and I stand by that," he told the BBC.
Goldsmith refused to say if he knew about any such payments as alleged, citing reasons of confidentiality and national security.