|
|
Article: Kickbacks tarnish Sweden's pure imageEthics can vanish in overseas dealings
- Article from:
- International Herald Tribune
- Article date:
- May 12, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightProvided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
|
Ivar Ekman
International Herald Tribune
05-12-2007
Up north, where the air is fresh, traffic orderly and the government efficient, corruption has no home. Or does it? A slew of alleged bribery scandals involving major Swedish companies has surfaced in recent months, challenging Sweden's image - both at home and abroad - as virtually squeaky clean.The country's new anti-corruption chief, Christer van der Kwast, is looking this week into allegations that Saab offered huge, secret ''commissions'' to promote the sale of its Gripen fighter jet to the Czech Republic and Austria.At the same time, the Swedish construction company Skanska has become the focal point of a growing scandal in Argentina ...