Prince Andrew lashes out at Saudi arms probe
PRINCE Andrew described an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the massive Al Yamama arms deal with Saudi Arabia as “idiocy”, according to Washington’s ambassador to Kyrgyztan that has emerged as part of the Wikileaks revelations.
Andrew, who travels as a special UK trade representative, made his comments during what was described by Tatiana Gfoeller as an “astonishingly candid” discussion that “verged on the rude” at an official engagement at a hotel in the capital, Bishkek, in 2008.
His attack on the investigation into alleged payment of kickbacks to Saudi Arabian officials from BAE Systems came two years after the SFO was ordered to discontinue its investigation by the then Labour government. The SFO declined to comment.