No bribes please! We’re British

A whistleblower for a British Company has told ITV of his concerns about irregular payments to officials abroad as part of an investigation into the new British Bribery act.

The act, which came into force in 2011, prohibits the payment of bribes by companies to foreign government officials.

In Exposure: No Bribes please! We’re British, ITV asks whether the new law is working.

GPT Special Projects is a British subsidiary of defence giant EADS.

In the programme it’s accused by a whistleblower of making irregular payments to a number of officials in Saudi Arabia.

Ian Foxley worked as the programme director for GPT, which was providing communications work for the Saudi National Guard. Whilst working in the Riyadh office he discovered a number of suspicious payments going through his books. He told Exposure:

In response to the allegations GPT’s lawyers they were unable to comment because the Director of the Serious Fraud Office had opened a formal criminal investigation into certain allegations concerning GPT, and that the programme would not present an accurate picture of events.

The programme also looks at what difference the Bribery Act will make.

Alexandra Wrage, from anti-bribery group TRACE, says that the culture of bribery runs through many British businesses.

In April 2010 the group held a reception for British businessmen and women at the Tower of London to celebrate the UK's first ever overseas bribery act. Speaking to ITV's Exposure Ms Wrage said:

But top anti bribery lawyer Jeremy Carver told the programme since the act came in he’s hopeful that attitudes are changing.

You can see the full programme tonight on ITV1 at 10:35pm