DOJ CORRUPTION PROBE TRIGGERS TAILSPIN FOR BAE SYSTEMS SHARES

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BAE Systems shares plunged 8 per cent yesterday after the US Department of Justice launched an official probe into Saudi arms deals involving Britain's biggest arms manufacturers.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is also investigating BAE for possible violations of the books and records provisions of the US anti-bribery law known as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, two sources said yesterday. The news is highly embarrassing for the British government which intervened to halt a similar inquiry by the UK Serious Fraud Office.




英国最大的军火制造商英国宇航系统公司(BAE Systems)股价在昨日交易中下跌8%，此前美国司法部(Department of Justice)对沙特军火交易展开正式调查，而英国宇航系统公司涉身其中。

两位消息人士昨日表示，美国证券交易委员会(SEC)也在调查该公司可能存在的、违反《反海外贿赂法》(Foreign Corrupt Practices Act)中有关入账和记录条款的问题。这条新闻令英国政府颇为尴尬，因为英国政府曾插手阻止严重欺诈办公室(Serious Fraud Office)对该公司进行一项类似的调查。