The Queen’s former deputy property manager was convicted Tuesday of taking bribes and kickbacks to award contracts and push for a Royal Warrant.
Ronald Harper, 63, a senior member of the Royal Household staff, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court in London of conspiracy to take corrupt payments.
He took bribes from the former owners of a company called Melton Power Services. It had been granted a Royal Warrant on Harper’s recommendation.
In the UK, Royal Warrants authorize a company to display the royal arms, signifying it supplies goods or services to the sovereign or to a specified member of the royal family.
The Queen in 2004 made Harper a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.
He was arrested in 2014.
Harper managed an annual budget funded by public money of about $3 million. He could authorize work orders up to about $39,000.
He took about $100,000 in corrupt payments over six years from companies awarded contracts for mechanical and electrical work in Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s Gallery, St James’ Palace, and Kensington Palace
The court didn’t set a date for sentencing.
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Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He’ll be the keynote speaker at the FCPA Blog NYC Conference 2016.
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