Swedish authorities to decide on investigation into original Gripen deal

Sweden's chief prosecutor has said that his country's judiciary will decide in the coming weeks whether or not to launch an investigation into corruption allegations concerning the proposed sale of Gripen fighter jets to the Czech military. Swedish Television reported this week that the business deal, which originally offered 24 jets by the British-Swedish consortium BAE Systems/Saab to the Czech Republic in 2002, was accompanied by wide-spread corruption. Later, the deal was scrapped in favour of the Czech Republic leasing 14 jets. In the Czech Republic, a number of former government officials have said they did not register corruption in connection with the original dealings.