12:55pm Friday 12th March 2010
FIVE rail contractors, including a Hampshire man, have appeared in court accused of bribing a senior Network Rail employee in return for deals.
Gary Malkin, 52, of Brockenhurst, was one of those who appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court.
The other accused were Peter Sale, 48, of Tadworth, Surrey; Anthony Ash, 47, of Haywards Heath, East Sussex; Jeremy Plastow, 41, of Altrincham, Greater Manchester; and Anthony Whittington, 46, of Abridge, Essex.
The men were charged with offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 following an inquiry by British Transport Police (BTP).
Sale is also charged with committing fraud by claiming a company performed services for Network Rail which did not take place.
The men are said to have lavished Anthony Burgess, 45, with cash and luxury gifts, believed to include watches and a sports car.
The rail manager and his wife Marian, 51, committed suicide at their home in Clavering, Essex, in January last year.
Burgess was sacked from his £75,000-a-year job overseeing the refurbishment of company offices several months earlier following an internal inquiry.
The accused were all released on conditional bail and ordered to return to the same court on April 20 for committal to Crown Court.
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