10th December 2013

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

UK bribery trial collapses in blow to anti-fraud agency
One of Britain's biggest corruption trials in years came to an abrupt halt on Tuesday when the Serious Fraud Ofce (SFO) called off the prosecution of businessman Victor Dahdaleh in a further setback for its already tarnished reputation. The SFO had accused Dahdaleh of paying some $67 million in bribes to former managers of Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), including a member of Bahrain's royal family, between 1998 and 2006 in return for a cut of contracts worth over $3 billion. The case involved allegations of corruption at senior levels of government and business in Bahrain, a sensitive issue at a time of political unrest in the secretive Gulf kingdom. Read More The trial was halted on Tuesday after Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith directed the jury at Southwark Crown Court to return a not-guilty verdict on all charges against Mr Dahdaleh. The SFO said it was offering no evidence in the case, after a witness changed his evidence and two US lawyers declined to testify in court. Read More

Trial of Labour donor Victor Dahdaleh abandoned

The Serious Fraud Ofce has abandoned a major corruption trial in which it accused one of Labour's wealthiest party donors of making multimillion-pound payments to win lucrative contracts. In the latest high-prole setback for the SFO, its counsel told Victor Dahdaleh, the accused,

that there was no longer a realistic prospect of a conviction after its main witnesses withdrew evidence or co-operation. The 70-year-old businessman, a former associate of Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson, had maintained his innocence after being accused of paying bribes worth 40m to former managers of Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) in return for contracts worth 2bn. Read More Telegraph on an exclusive or any other basis, the court said in a statement carried by Bahrain News Agency (BNA). The report quoted the crown prince as saying that the US policy in the region was schizophrenic and that its Arab allies may be forced to review their relations with America and turn to a more reliable Russia for better relations. Read More

Victor Dahdaleh corruption trial collapses

The Serious Fraud Ofces ability to prosecute complex cross-border cases faces intense scrutiny after the collapse of BritishCanadian billionaire Victor Dahdalehs trial one of the highest-prole bribery prosecutions for years.

Bahrain denies reports of US relations warning

An alleged interview with Bahrains Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa published by The Daily Telegraph has been denied by his court. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Bahrain has not undertaken an interview with The Daily