The raids on the headquarters of several companies in the group were carried out within the framework of two preliminary investigations by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office for suspicion of corruption by a foreign public official.
Thales’ offices in France, the Netherlands and Spain were raided this week on suspicion of corruption linked to the sale of military equipment abroad, particularly in Brazil, a judicial source confirmed to AFP today.
Confirming information from BFMTV, the same source said that searches were carried out at the headquarters of various companies of the French defence equipment group Thales in these three countries between Wednesday and Friday.
The searches were carried out as part of two preliminary investigations by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office into suspected corruption by a foreign public official.
“The first, opened at the end of 2016,” concerns “accusations of corruption of a foreign public official, private corruption, criminal association and money laundering of these crimes” and refers to “the sale of submarines and the construction of a naval base in Brazil,” said a judicial source.
“The second, opened in June 2023,” concerns “accusations of corruption and influence peddling by foreign public officials, private corruption, criminal association, money laundering and concealment of these crimes” and “refers to several operations to sell military and civilian equipment abroad,” the source said.
According to the source, the operations “were carried out by 65 OCLCIFF investigators [gabinete central de combate à corrupção e infrações financeiras e fiscais]12 PNF magistrates [Procuradoria Nacional Financeira]with the collaboration of the Dutch and Spanish judicial authorities and the coordination of Eurojust”, the European judicial agency.
The “investigations are continuing,” according to the same source. Thales and its lawyer have not yet commented.
Source: Observadora
