BAE bought plane for Saudi prince under arms deal: report

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2007

LONDON (AFP) — Britain's defence giant BAE bought Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan an Airbus plane under a multi-billion pound arms deal and is still paying the costs of flying it, the Guardian newspaper said Friday.

The latest allegation met with renewed denials of wrongdoing from BAE, which said it does not pay or receive bribes or "offer other improper inducements," although a spokesman declined to comment on the specific plane charge.

The newspaper last week alleged that BAE transferred secret payments totalling more than one billion pounds (two billion dollars) into accounts controlled by Prince Bandar as part of the Al-Yamamah arms deal signed in 1985.

On Friday the Guardian said the top-of-the-range, four-engine Airbus 340, worth 75 million pounds (150...