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Arts & Culture

FRONTLINE: Black Money

Briefcase of U.S. currency. "Frontline: Black Money" examines the shadowy world of international bribery.
Courtesy of Marlena Telvick
Briefcase of U.S. currency. "Frontline: Black Money" examines the shadowy world of international bribery.

Airs Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV

Extended Interview

Watch an extended interview with Louis Freeh, former FBI Director, now attorney to Prince Bandar.

FRONTLINE investigative correspondent Lowell Bergman examines the shadowy world of international bribery in "Black Money." The story reveals how multi-national companies create slush funds, set up front companies and make secret payments, all to get billions in business.

But these practices are facing a new international crackdown, led by prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice and allies abroad. At the center of this is a controversial, ongoing investigation into the British-based multi-national BAE Systems and allegations about billion dollar bribes.

"The thing about black money is you can claim it's being used for all kinds of things," the British reporter David Leigh tells Bergman. "You get pots of black money that nobody sees, nobody has to account for, ... you can do anything you like with. Mostly what happens with black money is people steal it because they can."

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Watch an excerpt from the film below, and the entire episode is available for online viewing.

Video Excerpt: Frontline: Black Money