UK ministers approved £60m payments to Saudi royals to maintain arms deal, court told

Payments allegedly facilitated by senior government and military figures to secure arms contracts for British firms

Cabinet ministers and Whitehall mandarins approved payments totalling 60m to Saudi royals and high-ranking officials over decades to secure and maintain a huge arms deal, a court heard on Monday.

The accusation was made by Tom Allen, a barrister representing one of two men who are being prosecuted for corruption in a longstanding arms deal between the UK and Saudi Arabia.