DAILY EXPRESS: Claims British civil servants had "connived" in corrupt arms deals with Saudi Arabia for more than 30 years have been denied by Defence Secretary Des Browne.
But recently-discovered documents in the National Archives show Ministry of Defence officials made clear in 1976 the Saudis expected "appropriately discreet arrangements" to be made for payments.
The then head of defence sales at the MoD, Lester Suffield, said that although they were described as "technical consultancy" fees, they were designed to "sway" decisions on the award of arms contracts.
He warned the scale of the payments, which could account for 10% of the total value of a contract, would become "enormous" unless they could somehow be restrained. Saudi Arms Corruption Denied >>>
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