Raid on UK office, home of SA-born arms dealer

Cape Town – The London home and the offices of an arms broker linked to a supplier in South Africa‘s multi-billion-rand arms deal have been raided by Britain‘s Serious Fraud Office, a British newspaper reported yesterday.

The Guardian said the raids were part of a probe into corruption allegations against Britain‘s biggest military hardware exporter, BAE Systems.

South African-born John Bredenkamp, who it named as BAE‘s agent in southern Africa, was understood to have received large sums in confidential “commission payments” for various deals.

However, it also quoted “sources close to Bredenkamp” as denying he played any role in SA‘s arms deal, and that the search warrant related to a Bredenkamp-controlled firm with which BAE had dealings.

It was reported in 2003 – also by the Guardian – that BAE paid millions of pounds in secret commissions to obtain a huge UK taxpayer-backed contract to sell 24 Hawk jets to SA. Britain‘s trade and industry department admitted it did not know who was to receive the money, despite providing loan guarantees for the deal.

South Africa‘s fighter jet procurement plan, shared between BAE and its partner Saab, is worth $2,2-billion (R16-billion).

BAE has so far delivered 10 Hawk jet trainer aircraft to the South African Air Force. – Sapa