International Development Committee question DFID, MOJ, The Serious Fraud office and BAE Systems on Financial Crime

On Tuesday 19 July 2011, Committee Room 8, The Palace of Westminster, the Committee took evidence from:

At 10.00




Philip Bramwell, Group General Counsel, BAE Systems PLC
Bob Keen, Head of Government Relations, BAE Systems PLC
Lord Cairns, Independent Chair, BAE Systems PLC Advisory Board on Tanzania
At 10.45

Richard Alderman, Director, Serious Fraud Office
At 11.30

Rt Hon Alan Duncan, Minister of State, Department for International Development
Rt Hon Lord McNally, Minister of State, Ministry of Justice
Phil Mason, Head, Anti- Corruption, Department for International Development
Joy Hutcheon, Acting Director General, Department for International Development
Tim Jewell, Deputy Director, Criminal Law Team, Legal Directorate, Ministry of Justice

Tanzania PMs John Cheyo, Mussa Zungu, amd Mrs Kariuki and Hugh Bailey


This is a one-off evidence session with two broad aims.

The first and second panels examined the background to the agreement between BAE Systems and the Serious Fraud Office arising from the criminal offence of improper book keeping, which BAE Systems admitted in connection with the sale of a military Air Traffic Control system to the government of Tanzania. The panels will also address the issue of how the people of Tanzania will benefit from the reparations that BAE Systems has agreed to pay.



The third panel will examined the BAE Systems and Tanzania case as well as whether the case allows any general lessons to be drawn about how best to combat financial crimes, including bribery, in developing countries.

The session will also look at the working of the Bribery Act and the Government’s guidance.