Armament: investigation targets Thales on suspicion of corruption in India

Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 fighters take off during a Joint Indo-France Air Force exercise in Gwalior, central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. AFP learned on May 5, 2023, from a source close to the case, that the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) has opened a preliminary investigation into whether the Thales arms group used bribes, which it denies, to win a contract to refurbish Mirage-2000 fighter jets in India. AFP - PRAKASH SINGH

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Thales is the subject of a preliminary investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF), to verify whether the French group would have used corruption in the context of its activities in India, revealed this Friday, May 5, the investigation cell of Radio France. The opening of investigations into suspicions of bribery of foreign public officials and laundering of this offense was confirmed to AFP by a source close to the case, while the PNF did not wish to confirm this information. Contacted by RFI, Thales strongly disputes the allegations of corruption.

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According to Radio France's investigation, Sanjay Bhandari, an Indian middleman who lives in Britain, claims to have helped Thales win a contract to refurbish Mirage-2000 aircraft in India, in exchange for the payment of 20 million euros by an offshore financial circuit.

The case dates back to 2011, when India had concluded with the France a contract to modernize its fleet of 51 Mirage-2000, worth nearly 1.4 billion euros, to be shared between Thales and Dassault.

► Read also: India: Dassault and Thales win the renovation contracts of 51 Mirage 2000

Sanjay Bandari maintains that Thales won this contract a month after his visit to Paris in June 2011 with senior executives of the group and the conclusion of an oral agreement for his remuneration.

Arguing that Thales still owes him 11 million euros on the promised sum, the man appealed to the Nanterre Commercial Court, which rejected it on October 28.

Allegations of corruption that Thales "strongly disputes": whether they concern "alleged payments made by the group in its favor, or sums that would be due to it for an aeronautical modernization project".

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Thales has not entered into any contract with Mr. Bhandari or his companies in connection with this project. " underlines the group, referring to the decision of the court of Nanterre, which ruled that Sanjay Bandhari was "defective in the administration of the proof of the existence of the contract he alleges and which he acknowledges had not been formalized in writing. And its spokeswoman insists: Thales, which "applies a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption", "has never been questioned by the PNF on this subject".

(With AFP)

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