Peacefmonline.com can confirm that the Office of the President has charged the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, to with immediate effect delve into the bottom of the Airbus bribery scandal and investigate the complicity of any public official, "past or present" who may have been involved in the saga.
A statement signed by Communications Director at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin stated that these investigations are expected to be conducted in collaboration with the United Kingdom authorities.
"The attention of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been drawn to a 31st January, 2020 judgement of the Crown Court at Southwark, in the United Kingdom, between the Director of the Serious Fraud Office and Airbus SE, in which the European multinational aerospace corporation has been fined $3.9 billion for the payment of bribes to secure deals in five countries, including Ghana....
"....President Akufo-Addo has taken notice of the judgement and its implications, and has referred it to the Office of Special Prosecutor to collaborate with its UK counterparts to conduct a prompt inquiry to determine the complicity or otherwise of any Ghanaian government official, past or present, involved in the said scandal, and to take the necessary legal action against any such official, as required by Ghanaian law," the statement read.
Gov't Official 1 & Intermediary 5
According to The Guardian of the UK, Airbus, Europe’s largest aerospace multinational, was found guilty by a High Court in London for paying huge bribes in “Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ghana secure contracts between 2009 and 2015".
With regards to Ghana, the report further stated that the planemaker, according to Section 7 of UK’s Bribery Act 2010, “between 2009 and 2015 engaged intermediary 5, a close relative of a high-ranking elected Ghanaian government official (Government Official 1), as its BP in respect of the proposed sale of three aircraft to the government of Ghana. A number of Airbus employees knew that intermediary 5 was a close relative of Government Official 1, a key decision maker in respect of the sales.
A number of Airbus employees made or promised success-based commission payments of approximately £5 million to the intermediary. False documentation was created by or with the agreement of Airbus employees in order to support and disguise these payments. The payments were intended to induce or reward improper favour by the Government Official 1 towards Airbus.”
Ruling
A London High Court found Airbus guilty, and imposed a fine of three billion pounds (£3bn) as penalties.
Airbus was charged with five counts of failing to prevent bribery, having used a network of secret agents to pay large-scale backhanders to officials in foreign countries to land high-value contracts.
Anti-corruption investigators, according to The Guardian, have described the court's decision as the largest ever corporate fine for bribery in the world. A judge declared the corruption was “grave, pervasive and pernicious.”
Why Probe When Ghana Did Not Lose Any Money?
Meanwhile, even before the Office of the Special Prosecutor, tasked by President Akufo-Addo to unravel the complicity of any past or present public official in the infamous Airbus scandal, Former Head of Communications at the Presidency during ex-President Mahama’s tenure, Stan Xoese Dogbe believes considering "Ghana did not lose any money" there is need for government to investigate the matter.
The aide to the former President, in a Facebook post, wants the Akufo-Addo government to rather probe his corruption-laden "family and cronies" appointees; their sordid enterprises which are "still fresh in the minds of Ghanaians".
"Ha ha ha!! Finally, the SP [Special Prosecutor] will have some work to do."
"But please, Mr. Akufo-Addo, given that Gov’t of Ghana did not lose any money in this Airbus matter, and yet you are willing to attempt some so-called investigation, just asking, why wont you rather investigate the nepotism-induced $24m tax waiver you gave to your in-law which will be at a cost to the tax payer?"
"The criminal PDS scandal involving your family and cronies is also still fresh in our minds ooo!" Mr Dogbe posted.
INQUIRY INTO BRIBERY OF GHANAIAN OFFICIALS IN MILITARY AIRCRAFT DEAL
For Immediate Release
The attention of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been drawn to a 31st January, 2020 judgement of the Crown Court at Southwark, in the United Kingdom, between the Director of the Serious Fraud Office and Airbus SE, in which the European multinational aerospace corporation has been fined $3.9 billion for the payment of bribes to secure deals in five countries, including Ghana.
According to the Statement of Facts in the case, between 2009 and 2015, “a number of Airbus employees made or promised success based commission payments of approximately €5 million to Intermediary 5”, who is said to be “a close relative of a high ranking elected Ghanaian Government official (Government Official 1)”.
Significantly, “Government Official 1 was a key decision maker in respect of Government of Ghana aircraft orders”.
The payments to Intermediary 5 by officials of Airbus SE were, thus, “intended to induce or reward improper favour by Government Official 1” over the purchase of three (3) C-295 military transport aircrafts. Indeed, out of the €5 million promised Intermediary 5, €3.85 million was paid between March 2012 and February 2014.
President Akufo-Addo has taken notice of the judgement and its implications, and has referred it to the Office of Special Prosecutor to collaborate with its UK counterparts to conduct a prompt inquiry to determine the complicity or otherwise of any Ghanaian government official, past or present, involved in the said scandal, and to take the necessary legal action against any such official, as required by Ghanaian law.
Eugene Arhin
Director of Communications
Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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Wss is not this President who said they should report any corruption case to his office? So all the clearing agents he did, is he going to forward them to SP to probe? hmmmmmm
MAHAMA MIGHT BE THE FIRST FORMER PRESIDENT IN GHANA TO BE IMPRISONED. THE STATE MUST FOLLOW THE RIGHT PROCESS TO INVESTIGATE THE MATTER TO THE BOTTOM. AS THE MALAYSIANS SAYS IF YOU WANT TO WEED OUT CORRUPTION BEGIN FROM THE TOP AND NOT THE BOTTOM. WE DON'T WANT ANY KANGAROO COURTS TO TRY THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED. WE DON'T NEED TO KILL ANYBODY FOR ACCUSATION BASED ON PERCEPTION. PROPER INVESTIGATION MUST BE DONE FOR THE TRUTH TO BE SOUGHT. THE CULPRIT MUST BE MADE TO PAY AND BE PUNISHED FOR WHATEVER IS STOLEN FROM STATE. IT WAS FOR THE AIM TO HIDE ALL THIS THAT MILLS DIED. FOR THE SAKE OF THE BLOOD SHED IN THE NAME OF CORRUPTION, NOBODY MUST BE SHIELDED FOR A CORRUPT DEED. THE GHOSTS OF THE GENERALS, THE GHOSTS OF OVERTHROWN PRESIDENTS ACCUSED OF UNSUBSTANTIATED CORRUPTIONS, AND THE GHOST OF MILLS WHO DIED MYSTERIOUSLY WOULD NOT FORGIVE THIS GENERATION IF WE OVERLOOK ANY REAL CASE OF CORRUPTION. GOD BLESS GHANA. GOD BLESS ANYONE WHO STAND BY THE SIDE OF TRUTH TO FIGHT CORRUPTION IN GHANA.
An1m@l Farm
How do you know that Ghana didn't lose money? How dis Stan come to that conclusion: that Ghana did not lose money. is this about "throwing dust" into the eyes of the public?
That is good Mr President, but those of us who believe in equity would like to know when you would forward all the numerous corruption allegations against some your appointees to the Special Prosecutor?
That is good Mr President, but those of us who believe in equity would like know when you would forward all the numerous corruption allegatiins against some your appointees to the Special Prosecutor?
The cat is now out the bag.
Hope this is also not going to another burden of wasting taxpayer's money. NDC always accuse government of the day of not doing anything when it comes the fight against corruption. Nana and SP note Ghanaians want action and not words. Ghanaians want to see a day an ex-president is sent to court and have a feel of our laws. Even Jesus Christ was taken to court for no crime. NPP and Nana Addo crack the whip oooooo
***barred word*** president
Shameful president, as for this one de33, SP should work. But the cases against your government, you will quickly clear them all off wrong doing. Whatever you will do, JM will win 2020