Thales offices in 3 countries searched in corruption probes

PARIS

French defense group Thales faced fresh questions on June 29 after police in three countries searched its offices this week as part of two separate corruption investigations, a judicial source told AFP.

Officers in France, the Netherlands and Spain carried out the searches between June 26-28, said the source.

The police searches were triggered by two separate investigations, the source added.

The first, opened at the end of 2016, into suspected corruption of a foreign official, criminal association and money laundering involved the sale of submarines and the construction of naval base in Brazil.

The second, opened in June 2023, concerned similar offences linked to the sale of military and civilian equipment abroad, the source added.

During an official visit to Rio de Janeiro in 2008, France's then president Nicolas Sarkozy signed a contract with Brazil for the sale of four Scorpene-class submarines for 5.2 billion euros.

The vessels incorporated parts supplied by Thales and three of the submarines have already been delivered.

The second element of the deal was the construction of a naval base and a submarine construction site at Itaguai, which was inaugurated in 2018.

The second investigation opened in June 2023, said the judicial source.

This case is a collaboration by investigators in France, the Netherlands and Spain, as well as official from Eurojust, the European Union agency for criminal justice cooperation.

Thales has previously been investigated for alleged corruption.

A Paris investigating magistrate is due to decide shortly whether to follow the recommendations of the prosecutor at the financial crimes office and put a subsidiary of Thales on trial.