St Modwen Give Back Handers?

It has been scurrilously reported in this Guardian article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/sep/11/mg-rover-phoenix-four

and this Telegraph article


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/6176440/St-Modwen-

that St Modwen, those fine, upstanding, members of the urban development community, protectors of architectural heritage, and bastions of sustainable living, offered bribes to those Phoenix Four scallywags.

I'm sure its just some sort of misunderstanding kind of thing; not so much a bribe as offering money to important officials to help them see complex decisions in a more straightforward and simple way. [So, definitely not a bribe then]

I am sure that when a thorough investigation is done, the reputation of those excellent St Modwen chaps will remain.