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London: A former manager of Australian banknote company Securency has been found guilty of paying corrupt bribes to a Nigerian official, in a trial that was nearly derailed at the last minute by British prime minister David Cameron.
The prime minister's unanticipated impact on the verdict could prove grounds for a future appeal against the conviction.
Peter Chapman, the former director of business development in Africa for Melbourne-based polymer banknote firm Securency International, was found guilty on four corruption charges by a Southwark Crown Court jury in London on Wednesday.
In early 2009 he paid bribes of £40,000 ($78,000), US$34,927.50 ($47,000), US$54,915 and another US$54,915 to an official at Nigeria's national mint, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
The bribes were paid as an inducement or a reward for the official authorising, or facilitating Securency getting new orders worth millions of dollars for polymer substrate, used to print plastic banknotes in the Nigerian currency.
The court was told the bribes were paid with the knowledge and approval of some senior Securency executives.
The jury found Mr Chapman not guilty on two other counts of alleged bribes in 2007 and 2008.
Mr Chapman, 54, shook his head in the dock as he heard the guilty verdicts.
The trial was nearly called off just hours before the verdict was delivered, after David Cameron was caught on camera the day before telling the Queen that Nigeria was "fantastically corrupt, possibly (one of) the two most corrupt countries in the world".
David Cameron was caught on film telling Queen Elizabeth that Nigeria was "fantastically corrupt". Photo: WPA Pool
Judge Michael Grieve QC said the comments, which came as the jury deliberated for a fourth day, had "created a risk of prejudice to the fairness of this trial", though he concluded the risk could be dealt with by pleading for the jury to disregard them.
The comments were widely reported, leading radio and television bulletins and featuring on front pages of newspapers.
Mr Chapman had no comment outside the court after the verdicts. However it is understood his lawyers will be considering avenues for potential appeal against the conviction, based on the last-minute prejudicial impact of the prime minister's comments.
On Wednesday morning Mr Chapman's lawyer David Spens QC applied for the jury to be dismissed and a retrial ordered, and the basis of what he said was "overwhelming prejudice (which) means Mr Chapman can no longer have a fair trial".
He told the court the jury forewoman, the "number one juror" had been seen coming to court every day with a copy of the Financial Times under her arm – which "of all the newspapers had the most sensational headline" about Mr Cameron's comments on Wednesday morning.
And he said the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was also present during the conversation, had "made things worse for this trial" by suggesting to the Queen and PM that previous Nigerian administrations were responsible for the corruption.
"It is hard if not impossible to imagine anything that could be more prejudicial in a case with these allegations at this particular stage," Mr Spens said. "It is very hard to see what the court could do to dissipate the risk, the grave risk of prejudice to a fair trial."
Judge Michael Grieve said he "didn't really need any persuading that some if not all the jurors are likely to have read the story, heard it (or) seen it".
However prosecutor John McGuinness QC argued that juries had in the past demonstrated a commitment to the right to a fair trial, and followed judges' directions to ignore anything they had read outside a court. It was "unfortunate that these comments have been made at this time" but they jury should not be discharged, he said.
Judge Michael Grieve summoned the jury and addressed them on the comments, telling them they should reach their verdict only on the evidence they had heard in court.
"Certain remarks made by the prime minister yesterday on the subject of corruption… do not bear directly on the issue (at trial) but they do relate to Nigeria," he said.
"You must completely ignore anything you may have seen or heard or read about what the prime minister said. It was almost certainly a gross generalisation and certainly had no direct relevance to anyone involved in this case.
"Just ignore it. I repeat… do not discuss what he said with anyone at all until this trial is over.
"What is paramount, most important of all, is that Mr Chapman have a fair trial on the evidence and nothing but the evidence.
"Please take what I have just said to heart."
Less than two hours later, the jury returned with their verdicts.
Mr Chapman will be sentenced on Thursday. He has spent six months in a Brazilian jail, then almost a year in a London jail awaiting the trial, but is now on bail for medical reasons.
He faces the prospect of further jail time, subject to pre-sentence arguments from his lawyers.
He also faces confiscation of his property under proceeds of crime laws, having profited personally from the deals he won for Securency.
