It was later revealed that Ms. Chapman had discussed a cooperation agreement with the prosecution, under which she would testify in exchange for a reduced sentence on a drug charge.
No bank or bank executives, however, have been indicted, as prosecutors have instead used deferred prosecutions - under which criminal charges against a firm are set aside if it agrees to conditions such as paying fines and changing behavior.
In an interesting twist, the Royal Bank of Scotland accepted a deferred prosecution agreement under which federal prosecutors filed a wire fraud charge that will be held in abeyance as long as the bank continues to cooperate.
The investigation was expected to result in a deferred prosecution agreement under which Siemens Electrical, the successor company to Schlesinger-Siemens, would, to resolve the matter, pay about $10 million and agree to reforms, the people with knowledge of the case said.
Another possibility could be a controversial deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), under which a firm can admit wrongdoing for an economic crime, such as fraud or bribery, and accept a fine, while avoiding a drawn-out criminal trial.
Eventually, the prosecution offered her a plea bargain, under which she would plead guilty to perjury, for ostensibly lying to the F.B.I. about press leaks.
The trial comes after two and a half years of bitter legal disputes between the defense and prosecution over the highly restrictive conditions under which each defendant has been jailed, and the government's investigative tactics both in the United States and Africa.
Five law lords said there was no incompatibility between the 1989 Official Secrets Act, under which Shayler faces prosecution, and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights guaranteeing "freedom of expression".
On February 25th Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions, published guidelines setting out the conditions under which those who help them might escape prosecution.Although committing suicide was decriminalised in 1961, helping someone commit it is illegal in England and Wales.
Police hoped to find an alternative legal theory under which to pursue a prosecution, but apparently they have not succeeded.
Prosecutions are generally brought using the Harassment Act (under which around 5,000 stalkers were convicted last year), and the Malicious Communications Act (under which 700 people were tried, mostly for cyber-stalking).
