Fresh allegations that Rolls-Royce (RR.) has been involved in corruption have been levelled at the aerospace group, including claims that it made £10m in payments to an unregistered Indian agent that may have helped it to win a major contract for engines on Hawk aircraft.
An investigation undertaken by the BBC's Panorama programme and The Guardian alleges that the manufacturer hired a network of agents in at least 12 countries - including India, Brazil and China - to make payments in order to secure lucrative contracts. The Serious Fraud Office first announced it had opened a criminal investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption at Rolls-Royce in December 2013.
A spokesperson for Rolls-Royce said: "We have made it clear that Rolls-Royce will not tolerate business misconduct or inappropriate behaviour of any kind and in recent years we have intensified our focus on ethics and compliance, which are foundations of our culture." The spokesperson added: "We are fully co-operating with the authorities and cannot comment on ongoing investigations."
