Blair watches Martin sting government over corruption (Cheltenham Liberal Democrats)

Cheltenham Liberal Democrats <info@cheltlibdems.org.uk>

Blair watches Martin sting government over corruption

January 29, 2007 5:21 PM

Cheltenham's MP has got a startling confession out of a government minister as Tony Blair looked on. Tony Benn's son Hilary is now international development minister and is charged with rooting out bribery and corruption in international business deals. But local MP Martin Horwood challenged him over the mysterious dropping of a Serious Fraud Office investigation into possible bribery and corruption by a British company in Saudi Arabia.

"Was he consulted, and if he was" asked Martin, "did he warn fellow ministers that the decision could put Britain in breach of the international convention against bribery?" Tony Blair looked on stoney-faced. He has been accused of pressuring the Attorney General and the SFO into dropping the case. Hilary Benn admitted to a shocked House of Commons that although he is supposed to be the government minister responsible for ensuring bribery and corruption investigations are followed through, they hadn't consulted him.