Whistleblower in high-profile Saudi bribery case seeks legal action against MoD

A retired lieutenant colonel is taking legal action against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Department for Business and Trade over his treatment after he whistleblew in a high-profile Saudi bribery case.

Lieutenant colonel Ian Foxley made complaints against GPT Special Project Management back in August 2012 – which resulted in the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) launching its investigation.

He was a senior executive at GPT, which is owned by Airbus, when he discovered substantial payments were being paid to offshore accounts linked to high-ranking Saudis “for no apparent reason”.

The anti-fraud agency investigation into the company resulted in GPT being prosecuted in April 2021, where it pleaded guilty to corruption and paid a penalty totalling almost £30m.

The SFO brought corruption charges against Jeffrey Cook, 67, a former managing director of GPT Special Project Management and John Mason, 81, a part-owner of some of GPT’s subcontractor companies back in 2020.

The pair faced trial in 2022 but a judge dismissed it during the proceedings after further information came to light from the MoD. Cook and Mason faced a 14-week retrial last November at the Southwark Crown Court.

The men were charged with one count of corruption.

Cook, who was on secondment at the firm from the MoD at the time, was also charged with one count of misconduct in public office.

On Wednesday, Cook and Mason were acquitted of corruption by a jury, however, the jury did find Cook guilty of misconduct in public office. He will be sentenced on April 12.

According to a release by his lawyers at Leigh Day on Friday, Foxley’s case is that he escalated his concerns to senior officials at the MoD, which reported his disclosures to GPT without his knowledge or consent.

The statement noted that upon learning of his disclosures, GPT’s managing director and the HR director allegedly threatened to have him thrown in jail in Riyadh.

These threats caused Foxley to flee Saudi Arabia in fear of his safety and after returning to London, his contract with GPT was terminated and he was subsequently unable to obtain employment in the defence industry.

Leigh Day has sent pre-action letter to the defendants, the MoD, Department for Business and Trade (formerly Department of International Trade) and GPT.

The law firm said it intends to file Foxley’s claim in the next few weeks over negligence, conspiracy and breach of contract.

Commenting on the action, Leigh Day partner Paul Dowling said: “It has taken more than a decade since Ian Foxley first raised his concerns, for the facts of this deep-seated corruption to come to light. Lt Col Foxley’s brave whistleblowing ultimately ensured that the British state recovered millions of pounds in fines from GPT, but meanwhile he has suffered irreparable financial and psychological harm, being repeatedly told his allegations were unfounded.”

“GPT and the government departments responsible must now remedy this appalling treatment of an honest ex-serviceman whose life has been ruined for refusing to be complicit in corruption which was orchestrated and maintained at the highest levels of the British government,” he added.

The MoD and Trade department were contacted for comment.