The latest issue of Africa Confidential (vol.49 issue no.16), features
revelations about more than £25million in payments from Britain’s biggest
arms company, BAE Systems, to a key ally of President Robert Mugabe’s regime
in Zimbabwe. These secret payments to offshore accounts in the British
Virgin Islands are linked to BAE’s £1.6 billion contract to supply Hawk and
Gripen fighters to the South African Air Force.
Our investigation, based on our own research, first hand testimony from
businessmen and discussions with international law enforcement agencies,
raises important questions about BAE’s claims to have reformed its
operations according to Lord Woolf’s recommendations as well as the role of
British and South African politicians in agreeing to a deal that cost South
Africa about twice what a deal with Italian rival Aero Macchi would have
cost.
As police investigators conclude their work on the deal there will be
important political repercussions in Britain and South Africa.
Africa Confidential is one of the longest-established specialist
publications on Africa, with a considerable reputation for being first with
the in depth news on significant political, economic and security
developments across the continent.
Our track record owes much to our comprehensive network of local
correspondents and the connections that we’ve built up throughout Africa
since we started publishing back in 1960.
If you would like to feature this story or find out more information contact
Nadia Mensah on +44 (0) 207 831 3511 or email nadia@africa-confidential.com
Africa Confidential, the world’s leading fortnightly bulletin on Africa
www.africa-confidential.com