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The former managing director of Alstom Transport India, Robert Hallett, who faces charges of corruption over a contract for the New Delhi Metro, will have his case joined to the main prosecution against the company.
During a hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday, Hallett was charged with two counts of corruption and the case transferred to Southwark. Appearing for the prosecution, barrister Rachel Scott said Hallett’s case was likely to be brought together with the one against Alstom Network UK, the British subsidiary of the French industrial giant at the heart of the SFO’s investigation.
“These allegations are part of a corporate corruption case brought against the company Alstom Network UK,” said Scott. The company faces six charges of corruption relating to contracts in India, Poland and Tunisia.
Hallett, Alstom Network UK and certain of its directors and others “corruptly” gave or agreed to give payments to “an official or officials or other agents of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd,” between August 2000 and 2006, according to the charge sheet against Hallett.
A payment of ₹1.98 crore disguised as payments for a “consultancy agreement” was made to Indo European Ventures Pte, while Global King Technology Ltd was paid €3.13 million under a similar guise. Both were meant to be “inducements or rewards for showing favour to the Alstom Group in relation to the award or performance of a contract with the said Delhi Metro Corporation for a train control, signalling and telecommunications system for the Delhi Metro Phase 1,” the document read. Alongside this charge, described by the prosecution as a “substantive” offense, he also faces charges of conspiracy.
Hallett, who appeared relaxed at the hearing, has remained an employee of Alstom, had been working in Saudi Arabia and agreed to voluntarily return to the UK for the case. He was released on conditional bale, and is set to appear at Southward Crown Court on November 17 for a preliminary hearing.
Scott told the court they hoped that the case against him and Alstom Network UK would be brought together at the plea and management hearing against the company at the end of January. A plea and management hearing is the stage at which where the defendant would have to enter a plea, and it is established whether there is enough information for a trial date to be set.
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