The U.K. Serious Fraud Office on Thursday announced charges against GPT Special Project Management and three individuals concerning a criminal investigation that began eight years ago into allegations of misconduct in Saudi Arabia.

The SFO began investigating GPT, a subsidiary of aerospace giant Airbus, in August 2012 relating to the award of a £2 billion (U.S. $2.6 billion) contract for high-level intranet and communications work for the Saudi National Guard. According to the SFO, the corrupt activity occurred between January 2007 and December 2012. In addition to the company, the SFO also brought charges against GPT’s former managing director, Jeffrey Cook, and John Mason, the financial officer and part owner of GPT subcontractors and foreign-registered companies Simec and Duranton.

Cook also has been charged with “misconduct in public office” between September 2004 and November 2008 relating to commission paid to him on contracts he placed with ME Consultants for the Ministry of Defense for which he was employed. Terence Dorothy has been charged with aiding and abetting that offense.

The case against all four will be listed at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Sept. 14.

In an annual report published in June 2019, GPT said it expected to cease business operations on Dec. 31, 2019, when its contract with the Ministry of Defense expired.

 

Jaclyn Jaeger is a freelance contributor to Compliance Week after working for the company for 15 years. She writes on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal, enforcement, technology, and more.

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