For years, the UK Serious Fraud Office had been looking into payments by BAE Systems, a major domestic defence firm, to members of the Saudi royal family in connection with a huge contract known as al-Yamamah.

The ongoing deal was largely for Tornados, Hawks and, later, Eurofighter Typhoons. People were taken into custody, offices were raided, and a vast slush fund, lavish gifts and all-expenses-paid travel had come to light. The allegations were startling.

This was the first significant investigation of bribery initiated by the SFO and it put Britain on its way to establishing a reputation for being serious about enforcement. The investigation gathered momentum when it looked like the SFO would gain access to Swiss bank accounts and finally get answers to the “who received what and when did they get it?” questions, those smoking guns of a bribery investigation.

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Novotel West Hotel, London, Evening of 4th May 2010
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