The Audio Long Read Very British bribery: the whistleblower who exposed the UK’s dodgy arms deals with Saudi Arabia
Sep 15, 2025
A whistleblower uncovers shocking corruption within the UK arms trade while working in Riyadh. His efforts reveal the moral dilemmas faced when exposing unethical practices tied to military contracts. With an ongoing battle against systemic bribery, the podcast dives into the tangled web of greed and secrecy within government dealings. This gripping tale highlights the personal risks involved in standing up for what is right, sparking a deeper discussion on accountability in an opaque industry.
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How Bribes Were Concealed
- Arms deals use middlemen to disguise kickbacks as consulting or services.
- Payments are hidden under innocuous labels like "bought-in services" to evade scrutiny.
Whistleblower Pushed Out
- Patterson resisted signing off the flat 16% payments after EADS acquired GPT and raised concerns internally.
- He filed a complaint and was sidelined, placed on gardening leave, and feared for his safety.
Foxley Copies The Evidence
- Foxley covertly accessed Patterson's emails at 5am and forwarded the evidence to the MOD Sancom team.
- He expected a prompt investigation but instead was summoned and accused of theft by his boss Jeff Cook.