Pete Hegseth, United States secretary of defence, has
accepted a Boeing 747 plane gift from Qatar intended to serve President Donald
Trump.
Sean Parnell, spokesperson for the Pentagon, confirmed
receipt of the luxury plane in a statement on Wednesday.
Parnell said Trump will use the plane once the Pentagon
upgrades it to include “proper security measures and functional-mission
requirements”.
He said the acceptance was in “accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” ending public concerns that had risen about the ethical justification of the gift.
The 13-year-old aircraft is said to cost about $400 million.
Earlier this month, when reports surfaced about the Qatari
royal family’s intention to gift Trump the plane, Pam Bondi, attorney general,
and David Warrington, Trump’s top White House lawyer, were said to have
draughted documents concluding that it would be “legally permissible” for the
president to receive the donation.
They also argued that it was acceptable for the aircraft to
be turned over to the Trump library, adding that it did not violate laws
against bribery or the constitution’s prohibition of any US government official
accepting gifts “from any king, prince or foreign state”.
Last week, Trump visited Qatar as part of his four-day state
visit to the Middle Eastern region.
Qatar, alongside the United Arab Emirates (UAE), committed
to investing $1.4 trillion in the US over the next decade.
The trip was part of Trump’s efforts to woo investors to the
US.
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