Britain MoD police called in over ‘£460 million fuel overcharging’ for Afghanistan

Military police are investigating claims Britain and its Nato allies were overcharged hundreds of millions of pounds for fuel by a defence contractor during the Afghan war.

A Nato audit of vast contracts to supply fuel to front line troops during the campaign has found the military alliance could have been overcharged by as much as £460 million ($700 million) by Supreme Group, sources said.

Sources said Britain is believed to have had put in around 10 percent of the money, to provide troops in Helmand with fuel, meaning the UK had potentially been overcharged up to £46 million.

The disclosure comes months after the Amsterdam-based group’s food business pleaded guilty and paid hundreds of millions in penalties for “major fraud” for overcharging the American military for food and water during the war.

The Ministry of Defence in London last night (Sun) confirmed that allegations of fuel overcharging were being looked at by its criminal investigation department.

Nato spent vast sums keeping buildings and vehicles fuelled during the 14-year-long campaign against the Taliban.

The lack of ports in landlocked Afghanistan, poor roads and the need to take fuel through Taliban-held territory left it hugely expensive to supply forward bases.