Airbus to pay $99 million fine in Eurofighter case
Airbus has agreed to pay a fine of $99 million to settle a corruption probe into the 2003 sale of Eurofighter jets to Austria, German prosecutors said on 9 February.
The investigation did not find evidence of bribery to secure the lucrative contract, the Munich prosecutors said in a statement.
However, they said Airbus had failed in its supervisory duty by allowing former management to make multi-million-dollar payments linked to the deal for ‘unclear purposes’.
The European aircraft manufacturer said in its own statement it had accepted the fine, meaning that the probe first opened in 2012 ‘has been terminated’.
Authorities in Austria however are still investigating claims bribers were paid to land the $2.45 billion sale of 18 Eurofighter jets to Vienna, a deal long alleged to have been very shady.
In 2017, the Austrian government also launched a lawsuit against Airbus, seeking up $1.35 billion in damages. It accuses the aircraft giant of deliberately hoodwinking Vienna over the order.
Current Airbus CEO, Tom Enders, was head of the defence division of European Aeronautic Defence Space Company at the time the deal was struck.
The corruption probes in Germany and Austria, as well separate graft investigations in the UK and France, have long cast a pall over one of Europe's most successful and best known companies.
Airbus announced in December 2017 that Enders would not seek reappointment when his current term ends in April 2019.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Top-level commitments but no meat in UK Defence Industrial Strategy’s Statement of Intent]()
Top-level commitments but no meat in UK Defence Industrial Strategy’s Statement of Intent
The initial document focused more on creating the right partnerships and inspiring investment in defence than on any details of how future UK Armed Forces would be armed.
-
![UK begins process on new industrial strategy]()
UK begins process on new industrial strategy
The first stage of developing a new UK Defence Industrial Strategy has highlighted failings in current structures with solutions expected to be proposed in next year’s full strategy.
-
![Romanians put pro-Russian candidate into presidential runoff even as the government spends west]()
Romanians put pro-Russian candidate into presidential runoff even as the government spends west
Romania joined NATO more than two decades ago and the country is vital to the alliance’s geographic reach and its ability to supply Ukraine with weapons.
-
![What the future holds for Ukraine and NATO under a Trump administration]()
What the future holds for Ukraine and NATO under a Trump administration
Although Trump’s geopolitics policy for Europe remains unclear, defence analysts from the US and Europe predict how his incoming administration would attempt to handle critical issues on the continent.
-
![RUSI deputy: UK needs longer procurement plans and improved awareness of US sift to Indo-Pacific]()
RUSI deputy: UK needs longer procurement plans and improved awareness of US sift to Indo-Pacific
The UK budget announced in Parliament on 30 October was the first by a Labour government in 14 years which has also launched a review into defence procurement programmes.
-
![Australia outlines longer punch and brings local industry onboard]()
Australia outlines longer punch and brings local industry onboard
The Australian government has placed a focus on Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) which has included the purchase of additional long-range rocket systems and investments in local production of missiles.
