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Ex-Nato chief guilty of corruption

Mr Claes was one of 12 defendants standing trial over allegations that two defence firms paid millions of dollars in bribes during the 1980s to secure Belgian Government contracts.

He was the Belgian economics minister at the time and signed the contracts with the Italian helicopter manufacturer, Agusta, and Dassault Electronique, a French aviation firm.

The verdict means that Mr Claes knew such payments were being made and that they were made before the contract for the helicopters was awarded. He had denied knowing that his Socialist Party received any payments from the companies.

The prosecution has had to show that the payments were bribes for the contracts and not simply gifts to the party - that was deemed legal if morally dubious until 1989.

The verdict against Mr Claes relates only to the case involving Agusta - verdicts are expected later in charges related to Dassault.

The court also said it was dropping forgery charges against Mr Claes.

Several other former Belgian ministers and a French industrialist were also on trial.

The former defence minister Guy Coeme, 52, was given a two-year suspended sentence.

Former premier Guy Spitaels, 67, and Serge Dassault, 75, head of France's Dassault aviation concern, were also convicted of corruption. No sentences have been announced yet.

The Agusta affair, as it became known, arose out of an investigation into the murder of another senior socialist, Andre Cools. He was shot dead in 1991 after hinting that he would expose his party's corrupt activities.

Relevant Stories

Background: The Agusta affair (23 Dec 98 | Europe)
Former Nato chief on trial (02 Sep 98 | Europe)

Internet Links

Government of Belgium
Socialist Party
Willy Claes: Nato Profile

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