Brazil prosecutors probe Sweden's fighter jet deal

Domestic politics?

http://www.thelocal.se/20150410/brazil-prosecutors-probe-swedens-fighter-jet-deal

A 39.3 billion kronor ($5.5 billion) deal signed by Swedish defence company Saab to build and sell 36 Jas Gripen fighter jets to Brazil is being investigated by Brazilian prosecutors.

The Brazilian federal government and Saab officially signed the contract in October, after a year of negotiations. The total price of the jets had then gone up by $900 million (around 8.3 billion kronor in today's exchange rate), which prompted Brazil's government secretariat to initiate a probe into why the bill had sky rocketed.Saab press officer Sebastian Carlsson has confirmed that Brazil's public prosecutors are now investigating the purchase – but underlined that no suspicion of criminal activity has as of yet been announced.

“It is correct that there is a prosecutor now who is going to ask a few questions. In Brazil the possibility of reporting things and the right to have it investigated is very open to anyone. It is both common and expected that a report like this arrives,” he told Swedish public broadcaster SVT.
Brazil agreed in October to buy 36 Gripen NG fighter aircraft, including their related systems and equipment. The fleet will be comprised of 28 single-seat and eight two-seat Gripen NG which will be delivered between 2019 and 2024.Saab CEO Håkan Buskhe explained on Brazilian television after the purchase that the higher price was due to the customer adding new requirements to the order during the process as well as fluctuating exchange rates.

“The contracts are signed in Swedish kronor, but Brazil is an oil economy where a lot is based on the dollar,” Carlsson told SVT.According to Brazilian newspaper Folha de San Paulo, the entire deal could be annulled if the prosecutor discovers financial irregularities. But Saab said it welcomes a judicial investigation.

“This deal is probably the most transparent deal we have done. At the end of the day it is positive that there is the opportunity for the public to have their questions answered. It creates a feeling of security,” said Carlsson.Saab is one of the world's leading defence and security companies and has around 14,700 staff around the world.The company recently hit the headlines after it was initially excluded from a major new submarine-building programme in Australia.

The firm reported soaring annual profits in 2014 and forecast stronger arms sales this year in response to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.It sells the Carl-Gustaf rocket launcher used by US armed forces and this week announced a new multimillion dollar deal to help Norway update its core weapon detection radar system.The Saab aerospace and defence company is not connected to Saab Automobile.