Three British businessmen are among 22 executives from companies in the arms industry arrested yesterday in the biggest FBI investigation into attempted bribery of foreign government officials.
The three-year investigation culminated in a sting operation that led to 21 arrests in Las Vegas on Wednesday and one in Miami. Those arrested are accused of offering bribes to an undercover FBI agent posing as a buyer for the defence minister of an unnamed African government.
According to US officials, they accepted solicitations for a 20 per cent “commission” from the agent in exchange for a stake in a $15million (£10million) contract to supply weapons for the country’s presidential guards.
Among those arrested are three British-based businessmen, named in the indictment as David R. Painter, 56, and Lee M. Wares, 43, the chairman and director respectively of a company that markets armoured vehicles, and Pankesh Patel, 43, managing director of a company that acts as an agent for arms companies.
Those arrested in Las Vegas were attending the 2010 Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show. A spokeswoman told The Times that there were no listings among exhibitors for any of the British men.
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The City of London Police Overseas Anti-Corruption Unit (OACU) said that it had executed seven search warrants in Britain in connection with the investigation.
The head of the unit, Deputy Superintendent Colin Cowan, said: “Over the past three years the OACU has been working with our colleagues in the FBI and Department of Justice on a focused and targeted investigation. Today’s results show just how influential this collaboration can be.”