China replaces
aviation chief
outh Korea's defence ministry is investigating the commission which was paid by
Lockheed to Daewoo in January 1992, following the $790
million sale of eight P-3C
Orion maritime-patrol aircraft
to the country's navy.
Former South Korean defence minister Choi Se-chang
and Daewoo managing director
Kim Sung-ki are among seven
people banned from leaving the
country while the ministry investigates
five
contracts
a w a r d e d u n d e r the Yulgok
arms-procurement programme.
The ministry is investigating
allegations that Daewoo had a
secret agreement with Lockheed to receive a $29.75 million commission for acting as
a marketing consultant on the
P-3 programme. The official
commission specified in the
contract was $4 million.
Both Daewoo and Lockheed
deny that there was any secret
w o U k r a i n i a n Tupolev
Tu-22M Backfire strategic
bombers were flown on a
demonstration tour to Iran in
the second half of 1993 as
part of Ukraine's bid to sell
the aircraft in the region.
Western intelligence indicates that, although Iran appears interested in the type,
which has an unrefuelled
c o m b a t r a d i u s of u p to
2,200km ( l , 2 0 0 n m ) , no funding is available for a purchase.
Israeli intelligence reported
in 1992 that Russia had of-