The UK's enforcement of foreign bribery laws is long overdue, say Alex Rene, Lista Cannon & William Jacobson
In the course of just a few weeks in the autumn of 2008, the UK brought two separate foreign bribery cases to conclusion—the first such cases brought by UK authorities—perhaps signalling a marked change in policy by the UK authorities.
First, in late September, the Overseas Anti-Corruption Unit (OACU) of the City of London Police announced that both an employee of CBRN Team Ltd (CBRN), a UK security consulting firm, and an official of Uganda pled guilty to bribery charges stemming from a scheme in which CBRN paid the Ugandan official in order to receive a contract to advise the Ugandan presidential guard. While the CBRN employee received a suspended sentence, the Ugandan official was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.
Second, on 6 October 2008, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), in a case the SFO was investigating for evidence of foreign bribery, announced that it had reached a £2.25m (US$3.9m) settlement with major construction firm Balfour Beatty
