The criminal proceedings initiated by the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office against Alstom Network U.K. Ltd for offences relating to alleged bribes-for-contracts in India saw a consolidation on Monday with the charges against Robert Hallet, the former Managing Director of Alstom Transport India being posted for hearing on November 17 at the Southwark Crown Court where the cases against the corporate will also be heard.
On the submission of Rachel Scott, Counsel for the prosecution, the case judge at Westminster Magistrates Court granted Mr. Hallet bail in the interim. Its conditions stipulate that he must remain within the United Kingdom, but that in the event of his travelling abroad, he must give the court two clear working days notice.
Ms. Scott told the court that Mr. Hallet’s case was considered separately from those against the company as he was away working in Saudi Arabia, where he continues to work for the company. His voluntary return to face the legal proceedings against him merited his case being joined with the cases of corruption against the company, which is a subsidiary of the French industrial group Alstom.
She confirmed that Mr. Hallet faced two charges of corruption. The first is with respect to bribes of INR 19.8 in respect of a consultancy agreement with Indo-European Ventures Private Ltd, plus the sum of Euro 3.13 disguised as payment in respect of a consultancy agreement with Global King Technology Ltd. This constitutes an offence against Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1906.
The second charge relates to the same substantive charges but alleges conspiracy under a different law, ie, the Criminal Law Act, 1977. Alstom Network Uk Ltd is facing a trial on six counts of corruption with respect to irregular payments to win contracts for infrastructure projects in India, Tunisia and Poland.
