Tuesday’s end of show disco on Today debated issues arising out of the SFO investigations into allegations that BAE paid bribes to senior Saudi officials (BTW see Marcel Berlins‘ excellent commentary).
One of the two interviewees was Jonathan Aitken. He was introduced as a former Conservative defence minister and businessman who “famously came unstuck.”
The intro failed to make clear exactly how “unstuck” Mr Aitken had become – he ended up in prison, after being convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice. This is the Guardian in 1999, beginning a special report on Aitken:
The true role of the Conservative government’s chief arms salesman, Jonathan Aitken, and his Saudi business partner, Said Ayas, can at last be revealed by the Guardian today. Ayas negotiated secret commissions on British arms deals potentially worth millions to be paid into a Swiss bank, while Aitken, as a minister, lobbied for the arms sales to go through.
This information might have provided a little perspective on his contribution to the effect that HMG should keep its nose out of what doesn’t concern it.
Seems to me having a convicted criminal on a programme, discussing issues related to his conviction, without either adequate introduction or any expression of contrition (in fact using the platform to justify himself) is a bit poor. We wouldn’t do it for thieves, let’s not do it for white-collar criminals. Disagree? Have a listen on this link to the audio.
These are some of the BBC‘s relevant editorial guidelines:
Interviews with active or convicted criminals must not:
* glamorise wrong doing.
* reveal too much detail about a crime that could be copied.
* celebrate the flouting of the judicial process.Political activities and crime.
Internationally there are different definitions of crime. In some countries for example, political dissidents and activists are defined as criminals, but interviews with them can be important in enabling us to provide a full understanding of events. However, for people motivated by personal gain from their criminal activities we must apply the same principles as in the UK.
They are – perhaps understandably – not built to cope with some of the sophistication surrounding a white-collar criminal like Aitken, who perjured himself to hide the kind of ‘questionable’ activities outlined above by the Guardian.
When he was rich and powerful (not so long ago), Aitken tried to intimidate and silence a lot of people, most of them journalists. On Today‘s own website you can read how Aitken, whilst in office, accused John Humphrys of “poisoning the well of democratic debate.” He wasn’t joshing.
The point is, I think it wouldn’t be too harsh to say listeners might expect to hear a little more background about JA next time he pops up – even if it’s duetting with Lionel Blue on Thought for the Day.