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Langdale hired by fraud office in BAE investigation
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has upped the ante in its case against defence giant BAE Systems by hiring top criminal QC Timothy Langdale to help file a corruption suit against the firm .
By getting Langdale, who successfully defended Colonel Jorge Mendonca in 2003 against charges of mistreating Iraqi civilian detainees in Basra, on the case, the SFO is perceived as pushing BAE to accept a plea bargain over bribery allegations.
The SFO has set an internal deadline of the end of October to take the case to Baroness Scotland, it is understood, who will decide whether or not to prosecute.
The SFO has been investigating BAE’s operations in South Africa, the Czech Republic, Romania and Tanzania. BAE denies any
wrongdoing.