Airbus bribery investigation highlights power of international cooperation in tackling corruption
Loopholes to plea deals must be addressed to ensure justice is servedA €3.6bn (£3bn) corporate plea deal struck by Airbus to end a long-running corruption probe must now be followed up by prosecuting executives involved. Failing to hold individuals to account will damage public confidence and risks setting a precedent where big companies can buy their way out of trouble. Courts in the UK, France and United States last week approved the deal – known as a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) – after the aerospace giant admitted to using middlemen to pay bribes to secure aircraft contracts.