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ARTICLE · 10 FEBRUARY 2010

BAE Systems Pleads Guilty, Pays Hefty Fine to Settle Bribery Charges

Mayer Brown
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On February 5, 2010, British defense contractor BAE Systems PLC (BAE) reached separate agreements with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to conclude long-running investigations into whether BAE made improper payments to foreign officials in order to secure lucrative defense contracts.

United StatesCriminal Law
Scott Claffee
Scott Claffee
James Parkinson
James Parkinson
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Originally published February 9, 2010

Keywords: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, FCPA, BAE Systems, defense contracts, DOJ, Serious Fraud Office, anti-corruption, military contractor

On February 5, 2010, British defense contractor BAE Systems PLC (BAE) reached separate agreements with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to conclude long-running investigations into whether BAE made improper payments to foreign officials in order to secure lucrative defense contracts. BAE is Europe's largest military contractor and has recently grown into one of the most dominant defense firms in the world.

The DOJ and SFO Settlements

In a criminal information filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the DOJ charged BAE with one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the US government; BAE agreed to plead guilty. Specifically, the DOJ alleged that BAE made false statements to the Department of Defense

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