SINGAPORE (AFP) - European aerospace giant EADS has denied any
link to a bribery scandal over a naval helicopter contract in
Singapore and has suggested the affair had been "manipulated" to
damage the company's reputation.
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) issued a
statement claiming it has no association with a man charged with
trying to bribe a Singaporean defence ministry official.
"Neither EADS, nor its helicopter subsidiary Eurocopter, has any
relationship with the person," the statement said.
"As a matter of corporate policy, EADS fully complies with all
applicable legislation in every country where it does
business.
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"EADS has no insight into how this rumour surfaced but the company
suspects that it is a manipulation intended to damage the company's
interests and reputation."
EADS did not elaborate on who it believed was behind the alleged
manipulation.
The man at the centre of the scandal, Singaporean Eng Heng Chiaw,
46, was charged in the Subordinate Court on Tuesday with offering
the defence ministry official 500,000 Singapore dollars (305,000
US) to secure tender details about an EADS competitor for a naval
helicopter contract.
A copy of the charge sheet submitted to court said Eng offered the
money to Sin Boon Wah, a deputy chief executive for strategic
development at Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency,
as a "gratification sum".
The offer was an inducement to obtain information "about the price
offered by the competitor in a naval helicopter project so that a
company, European Aeronatics Defence and Space (EADS) SEA P/L,
could price its offer to secure the said project," the charge sheet
said.
The charge sheet, given to AFP by Singapore's Corrupt Practices and
Investigation Bureau, said Eng made his bribery attempt at a local
food court on September 20 last year.
It gave no details about Eng's relationship to EADS although the
Straits Times newspaper described him in a report on Wednesday as a
"business consultant" who used to work for a defence ministry
agency.
The contract in question was for six naval helicopters which the
Singapore government announced last month had been awarded to
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. from the United States.