Thales probe opens
Defence giant Thales is under scrutiny in a bribery and corruption investigation.
Authorities raided Thales offices across France, the Netherlands, and Spain in June as part of the probe, which centres on charges including bribery of a foreign official and money laundering.
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and France’s Parquet National Financier (PNF) have confirmed that the inquiry continues, which involves four Thales entities in the UK and France.
SFO Director Nick Ephgrave emphasised international collaboration in tackling corruption, saying.
“We will together rigorously pursue every avenue in our investigation into these serious allegations,” Ephgrave says.
Thales denies any wrongdoing and is cooperating with authorities.
A company spokesperson said Thales has a “zero tolerance” policy on corruption.
Thales’ share price dropped by 7 per cent on the Paris exchange following the news, though it later recovered most of the losses.
While the SFO and PNF are staying tight-lipped, Thales insists it will continue cooperating.