§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on(a) investigations and (b) prosecutions of individuals and companies for the offence of bribery of a foreign public official by the Metropolitan Police under (i) UK corruption laws and (ii) the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [158308]
§ Paul GogginsI am informed that the Metropolitan Police is currently investigating two allegations of bribery of a foreign public official. The Metropolitan Police is not responsible for the prosecution of offences.
There have been no prosecutions for the offence of bribery of a foreign public official since the enactment of part 12 of the ATCS Act which allows for extraterritorial jurisdiction over crimes of corruption committed abroad by UK nationals and incorporated bodies. The Home Office does not keep specific statistics on prosecutions of bribery of a foreign public official within the UK, although there is one reported case (R v. Raud 1989).
§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the(a) the UK Central Authority, (b) the National Criminal Intelligence Service and (c) the Metropolitan Police have received 1460W a request from the (i) French authorities, (ii) US authorities and (iii) Nigerian authorities for assistance into investigations of allegations involving payments by the consortium TSKJ in connection with the Bonny Island liquified natural gas plant in Nigeria. [158312]
§ Caroline FlintIt is the Home Office's practice to treat letters of request for assistance in criminal matters from foreign governments confidentially, as communications between two countries. We are normally therefore unable to confirm or deny that we have received a request.
However, the United Kingdom remains committed to assisting its international partners in the fight against corruption and bribery wherever possible.