Austrian count charged over BAE 'bribery'

An Austrian count this afternoon became the first person to be charged in the BAE bribery investigations.

Count Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly, a former agent for the British weapons giant, appeared before Highbury Corner magistrates' court to be charged with offering bribes in order to win defence contracts in central and eastern Europe.

The 56-year-old aristocrat from Vienna is the owner of Dalnaglar Castle in Perthshire and is alleged to have conspired to organise or pay bribes in order to persuade officials to buy Saab Gripen fighter jets in countries which include the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria between 2002 and the end of 2008.

Mensdorff-Pouilly's charges will add to the high profile of the Serious Fraud Office's investigations into bribery at BAE after the controversial decision by the Government to stop its inquiry into Saudi arms deals under the al-Yamamah contracts.

The SFO has pledged to continue its probes into the company in countries including Tanzania, Romania and South Africa.

A spokesman for the SFO said: "This is one of several ongoing investigations into BAE."

Today's action followed a joint investigation with the British Ministry of Defence Police and the Austrian, Czech, Hungarian and Swiss authorities. BAE was not immediately available for comment.