The UK Ministry of Defense was connected to a bank account in Saudi Arabia that was described as suspicious as far back as 2011, in the midst of the Al Yamamah corruption scandal and the Serious Fraud Office investigation into a deal involving a former Saudi partner and payments tied to that inquiry. The disclosures reference Saudi intelligence services and the kingdom’s former ambassador in Washington. The information appears in reports tied to a lawsuit and its documents, pointing to a pattern of payments linked to defense deals over many years. [citation: Guard]
The material cites documents revealed during the lawsuit against individuals connected to the GPT Special Project Management deal with Saudi partners, illustrating how the UK held a role in a long-running arms program and related financial arrangements. [citation: Guard]
According to the materials, the Ministry of Defense established a new payment mechanism for a senior Saudi official in 2006, following the earlier corruption inquiries related to the Al Yamamah package. The broader deal involved arms supplies valued at around £40 billion from the United Kingdom’s leading missile and defense contractor to Saudi Arabia, a cornerstone of the defense trade and industrial relationship between the two nations. [citation: Guard]
Documents indicate that from 1988 through 2007, the UK Ministry of Defense and entities in the United Arab Emirates operated a confidential system to route quarterly payments to Prince Bandar bin Sultan. The reports suggest that at intervals the Saudi prince would prompt a Defense Ministry official responsible for promoting arms sales to request the next installment. [citation: Guard]
Earlier reports mention that the former Vice President of Ecuador, Jorge Glas Espinel, faced bribery allegations between 2012 and 2016. He sought political asylum from Mexican authorities amid ongoing legal actions tied to those charges. [citation: Guard]
Additionally, new, previously unreported details touch on the kidnapping of a British Honorary Consul in Guayaquil, Colin Armstrong, in Ecuador, adding another layer to the complex web of diplomatic and political negotiations connected to these events. [citation: Guard]