Airbus raided in corruption probe over Romania and Saudi Arabia

Airbus Group NV's German offices were raided as part of a bribery and tax-evasion probe concerning its business in Romania and Saudi Arabia.

The searches took place a few week ago, Thomas Steinkraus- Koch, spokesman for Munich prosecutors, said in an e-mailed statement today. The investigation started last year, he said.

Prosecutors are focusing on questionable payments linked to defense sales of 3 billion euros ($3.7 billion), according to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, which reported on the raids earlier today. The case echoes a corruption case against Siemens AG, which Munich prosecutors settled for 596 million euros in 2006.

"Airbus Group confirms reports that the Munich prosecution office investigates in the context of border surveillance projects of Airbus Defence and Space GmbH with regards to alleged irregularities," Airbus spokesman Gregor von Kursell said, adding that the company supports the probe.

The company was raided in 2012 in a similar probe over fighter jet sales to Austria.

To contact the reporter on this story: Karin Matussek in Berlin at kmatussekbloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaaronsbloomberg.net Peter Chapman, Angela Cullen