Stockholm : Sweden's anti-corruption authorities said on Friday that they had launched an inquiry into the Swedish Maritime Administration's 2012 purchase of seven rescue helicopters from Italian maker AgustaWestland.
"I can confirm that I have launched a preliminary
investigation," anti-corruption prosecutor Robert Engstedt
said, refusing to disclose further details.
A Swedish television programme, Uppdrag Granskning
(Assignment Investigation), reported in April that the deal
between government agency SMA and AgustaWestland, worth $120
million (108 million euros), was sewn up in advance of a
public tender, which is illegal in Sweden.
It alleged that the 2012 deal was set up through private
emails on Hotmail accounts directly between management at the
two organisations.
The SMA said Swedish police had raided their offices
early Wednesday, seizing documents and IT material.
"We welcome the authorities' initiative and are
collaborating with the authorities to swiftly provide all the
material requested," it said in a statement.
AgustaWestland is owned by Italian group Finmeccanica.
Last year, India cancelled a 556-million-euro deal to buy
12 luxury helicopters from AgustaWestland after Italian
investigators began looking into accusations that the company
paid bribes to win the contract in 2010.
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