Khaleej Times Online - Saudi threatens to cut ties with Britain over probe: report

Khaleej Times Online - Saudi threatens to cut ties with Britain over probe: report: "19 November 2006


LONDON - Saudi Arabia has threatened to suspend diplomatic links with Britain unless it blocks a probe into an alleged multi-million pound slush fund for some members of its royal family, the Sunday Times reported.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which investigates and prosecutes complex fraud cases, has been examining claims that British defence company BAE Systems established a 60 million pound fund (89 million euros, 114 million dollars).

This allegedly provided perks such as luxury cars to ensure that the Saudis kept buying from BAE, the paper said.

The Saudi ambassador to London, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, visited Prime Minister Tony Blair’s chief of staff, Jonathan Powell, at Downing Street in September, the Sunday Times reported, quoting anonymous sources.

He said that unless the inquiry was dropped, diplomatic ties would be cut, the paper added.

Intelligence co-operation over Al Qaeda would also be stopped, it said.

The ultimatum came after SFO lawyers persuaded a Swiss magistrate to force disclosure of details about confidential Swiss bank accounts, it added."