Levland letter forged

Press, 23 May 1977, Page 8

Levland letter forged

' NZPA - Reuter London A British Leyland executive has admitted forging a letter stating that the com'(pany used “special payments” in an alleged worldwide web of corruption to secure orders for its vehicles. The letter, containing spelling errors and several other mistakes, bore what was supposed 10 be . the signature of Lord Ryder. | head of the Government’s I National Enterprise Board. But Scotland Yard detectives at ihe week-end were questioning Mr Graham Bar-

■ lion after his confession to the “Daily Mail” newspaper, which on Thursday printed the text of the letter. The newspaper defined the “special payments” as bribes, and the letter purported to show Government connivance in hand-outs abroad. Mr Barton said that he had done the forgery to i “gild the lily” on what he believed was a national scandal. “Naturally I regret that my enthusiasm got the j better of me, and that I have perpetrated this fraud,” he said. The N.E.B. holds a ;95 per cent stake in Leyland, said by the newspaper to have paid out millions of dollars in “slush money” — bribes to win orders. The Leyland claim was based largely on .the letter and an internal report written by Mr Barton, who urged strict controls on Leyland pav,ments overseas.