UK charges businessman over Bahrain aluminum deals

UK charges businessman over Bahrain aluminum deals

Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has arrested and charged businessman Victor Dahdaleh with corruption offences relating to contracts for the supply of aluminium to Bahrain, it said on Monday.

October 25, 2011 6:34 by Reuters

“He has been released on conditional police bail to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 31 October 2011,” the SFO said in a statement.

The SFO said Dahdaleh was a British and Canadian national living in London’s Belgravia district and that he was alleged to have paid bribes to officials of state-controlled smelting company Aluminium Bahrain BSC (Alba) in connection with contracts with US company Alcoa Inc.

Dahdaleh’s website, quoting a spokesman for legal firm Allen & Overy, said he believes the investigation into his affairs was flawed and he will be contesting the charges vigorously, confident of clearing his name.

An Alcoa spokesman was not immediately available to comment. Alba officials could not immediately be reached.
The contracts were for supplies of intermediate product alumina, shipped to Bahrain from Australia, and for the supply of further goods and services to Alba, the SFO said.

Dadaleh’s website said he is 68 and is is owner and chairman of Dadco and affiliated companies. It said Dadco is a privately-owned investment, manufacturing and trading group with operations and investments in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Australia.