Like its German competitor Siemens, France's Alstom Group is alleged to have used a system of bribes to buy its way into contracts worldwide. But in France politicians and the media have shielded the company. French President Nicolas Sarkozy almost single-handedly saved Alstom from bankruptcy. Pictured here is the company's new high-speed AGV train, the planned successor to the TGV. The fax was sent in 1998, a time now long past. The corruption scandal that would consume German electronics and engineering giant Siemens was still in the distant future, and public trust in the big names of European industry was still intact. The fax, from a bank in Liechtenstein, was sent to Oehri Treuhand, a Liechtenstein foundation, and Gerry Oehri, the head of the foundation. The bank wanted Oehri to explain a few things about one of his discreet companies.
Like its German competitor Siemens, France's Alstom Group is alleged to have used a system of bribes to buy its way into contracts worldwide. But in France politicians and the media have shielded the company.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy almost single-handedly saved Alstom from bankruptcy. Pictured here is the company's new high-speed AGV train, the planned successor to the TGV.
The fax was sent in 1998, a time now long past. The corruption scandal that would consume German electronics and engineering giant Siemens was still in the distant future, and public trust in the big names of European industry was still intact.
The fax, from a bank in Liechtenstein, was sent to Oehri Treuhand, a Liechtenstein foundation, and Gerry Oehri, the head of the foundation. The bank wanted Oehri to explain a few things about one of his discreet companies.
Sour grapes.
The fact is that France is one of the few countries that has had quite a few high-profile investigations and trials of high level corporate officers - with them actually going to jail; even if there have been some notable exceptions, and plenty more cases never pursued. And that, despite that corporate-firendly press. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
