Defense company Thales suspected of bribery

This article was last updated on November 22, 2024

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Defense company Thales suspected of bribery

The defense and electronics group Thales is suspected of bribery and corruption. The French company is being investigated by French and British authorities. The British Serious Fraud Office (SFO) announced this today. It investigates complex fraud cases.

Thales is one of the largest defense companies in the Netherlands and has branches in Hengelo, Eindhoven and Delft, among others. More than 2,000 employees work here.

The SFO did not reveal what exactly the company is suspected of doing. Earlier this year, the police searched several Thales branches, including in the Netherlands. French media then announced that the ongoing investigation would concern possible corruption in deliveries of military equipment to Brazil, but the Reuters news agency heard from a source that it would concern an arms contract in Asia.

OV chip card

Thales makes radar systems, software and sensors that are used in major military operations. The company also supplies military goods to Ukraine. In the Netherlands, another Thales product is at every station: the scanning devices for the OV chip card.

A Thales spokesperson says the company complies with all national and international regulations and is cooperating with the investigation. The company does not wish to comment further while the investigation is ongoing.

Nick Ephgrave, director of SFO, calls working with French authorities a “crucial factor in the fight against international corruption”.