A suggestion was made by a Foreign Office representative to award a businessman, who was later accused of aiding in the illegal exchange of millions of pounds in bribes to a Saudi prince and his associates of high authority.
According to UK prosecutors specializing in corruption, Salah Fustok was accused of acting as a mediator in approximately £10 million worth of payments to Prince Miteb bin Abdullah and other Saudi officials. These payments were seen as a way to influence or reward them for awarding a contract to the Saudi Arabian national guard.
Court documents revealed that the Fustok family had a strong connection to the Saudi royal family and this was discussed during a lengthy criminal case in the UK. During the trial, it was claimed that 85-year-old Fustok and other family members were seen by British officials as key intermediaries in business transactions with the Saudi royal family dating back to the 1960s.
In a court presentation, a written record revealed that a high-ranking official proposed giving Fustok an award in 2012 as a gesture to improve their rapport. Fustok, with British investments such as a stud farm in Cambridgeshire, reportedly felt resentful after being removed as an advisor to BAE, the largest arms manufacturer in Britain, as stated by the diplomat.
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The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) accused a British company and two people of using a Saudi company, Arab Builders for Telecommunications and Security Services (ABTSS), controlled by the Fustok family, as a means of paying bribes to Miteb and other individuals involved in a significant defense contract.
Three years prior, GPT Special Project Management, a British company, admitted to participating in corrupt acts by making payments to Miteb through ABTSS and other intermediaries from 2008 to 2010. GPT was fined £30m for their actions.
The jury acquitted two men last Wednesday of any misconduct in connection to the payments, which were made through ABTSS. The men claimed that the British and Saudi governments had approved the transactions.
During that incident, various papers were brought to light that disclosed the UK government’s intention to calm Fustok in 2012.
In October of that year, Edwin Samuel, a high-level representative from Britain stationed in Riyadh and focused on matters of defense and security, sent an email to Sir John Jenkins, the British ambassador. The email was sent ahead of a lunch meeting with four other British officials at Fustok’s residence.
Samuel stated that whenever Miteb is in Riyadh, Salah is present and this serves as a valuable means of communication, particularly for the UK.
One month passed and Samuel sent an email to the ambassador expressing concern about his strained connection with Salah Fustok, who had been removed as an advisor for BAE. “I have two ideas that could possibly assist,” Samuel stated. “A lunch hosted by you as a reunion and a potential nomination for Salah to receive honors.”
When asked about the recommendation for an honor for Fustok, the Foreign Office responded that they do not publicly discuss specific matters related to honors. It is known publicly that Salah Fustok does not hold an honor in the UK.
Fustok has owned the Deerfield stud farm near Newmarket in Cambridgeshire since 1990. The farm’s greatest achievement was in 2005 when a colt named Motivator, bred on the farm, won the renowned Derby race with an impressive display of speed.
The court heard that Fustok was requested by the SFO to participate in an interview regarding their inquiry into the bribery of Miteb. However, Fustok declined to attend.
In 2017, Miteb, a prominent Saudi, was confined to the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “anti-corruption” crackdown. After allegedly reaching a $1bn agreement, he was eventually released, but the specific charges against him remain unknown. Some critics believe that the purge was a tactic used by the crown prince to remove political opponents.
In a subsequent case brought by the SFO, it was claimed by prosecutors that Fustok and his family members had received payments in connection with their involvement in the corrupt activities.
According to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), payments were made in consistent installments from 2007 to 2010 to Salah, his son Rami, his nephew Majid, and other prominent Saudis, including Miteb. In total, Salah received £429,000, Rami received £164,000, and Majid received £156,000 during this period.
Salah, Rami, and Majid were not arrested or charged in relation to the investigation. ABTSS was also not charged.
Salah chose not to provide a statement. Rami, Majid, and ABTSS did not reply when approached.
Source: theguardian.com
