Bribing For Britain
Green County Councillor Chris Coates has criticised colleagues at County Hall for accepting an invitation to visit BAE Systems at Salmesbury. In a letter to all County councillors Cllr Coates said “I have no wish to be associated with a company that appears to think that bribery and fraud are acceptable business practice and I think that the visit of County Councillors to the site at Salmsebury brings the County Council into disrepute.”
BAE Systems was the subject of a Serious Fraud Office investigation which was dropped in December 2006 under pressure from the Government. The case is now under Judicial review and will be heard by the High Court in London on the 14th of February 2008. A visit has been arranged for County Councillors to the BAE site at Salmesbury for January 31st.
Cllr Coates added “BAE is the world’s fourth largest arms company and it appears to have been acting as if it is above the law. Given the circumstances I don’t think anyone from the County Council should be visiting them.”