By AFP
HELSINKI: Finland’s state prosecutor is seeking prison sentences for five defendants in a bribery case involving Finnish defense company Patria’s dealings with the Egyptian government, reports said Monday.
Four Patria employees and the company’s Egyptian agent are being charged with aggravated bribery and bookkeeping crimes, and complicity with these crimes.
The charges relate to the sale of artillery to Egypt, with the alleged bribery spanning the years from 1999-2006.
“The work that was done and the billing does not add up, because part of the money was for bribes. Half a million euros is a cautious estimate,” State Prosecutor Ari-Pekka Koivisto said during preliminary hearings, according to the STT news agency.
In addition to prison for the four defendants, Koivisto also demanded a €100,000 ($131,000) fine for Patria’s Land and Armament unit, STT reported.
Police are also looking into Patria’s armored vehicles deals with the Slovenian and Croatian governments.
Patria signed a €280 million deal with the Slovenian government in 2006 for armored vehicles, the biggest military contract ever signed by Slovenia.
But the Finnish company said last year it was in talks with Slovenian authorities to slash the amount of the contract after it became hampered by delays and alleged bribery.
The Slovenian government had already threatened to cancel the contract in 2008, after learning that the Finnish police had launched an investigation into bribery allegations related to the deal.
Patria also signed a contract in 2007 with Croatia’s government on 84 armored vehicles in a deal worth around €112 million.
The Finnish state owns 73 percent of Patria, while the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) has a 27-percent stake.
