London: Ex secretary of the British international trade persuaded the royal family of Bahrain to grant a 5 billion dollars deal to a British company alleged for corruption, whose holder is a leading donor to the ruling party of United Kingdom, the Guardian daily reported on Monday.
A conservative party MP, Liam Fox, and ex-government minister was urging while representing Petrofac, an oil and gas infrastructure firm.
The chief executive and co-owner of Petrofac Ayman Asfari and his wife contributed 800,000 Euros (more than $1.03 million) to the conservatives through 2009 to 2017 without mentioning the company’s name.
Bahrain has been lobbied by Fox four months following UK’s serious Fraud Office declared its inquiry into the bribery at the company. Asfari was in detention and interrogated as part of the inquiry. David Lufkin, the former executive of the company claimed accountable to 11 cases of bribery and is awaiting a judgment to pass on.
The investigation is proceeding; Bahrain consequently granted the agreement to another firm.
The spokesperson for the department of international trade favored the government’s actions while sidestepping questions related to conflict of interest: “The government supports British business at home and abroad, including backing companies when they bid for international opportunities. This was the case for Petrofac. The then-trade secretary followed the correct processes, carried out with due propriety throughout”.
A spokesperson of Petrofac stated “Petrofac does not make political donations. Any donations by Ayman Asfari and his family are made in a strictly personal capacity. Any suggestions that Mr. Asfari’s donations were the basis for preferential treatment by the government for Petrofac are entirely false”.
It was reported in the Guardian that two consecutive Prime Ministers, Theresa May and David Cameron has persuaded Bahrain on the behalf of Petrofac.–Worldwide News