Martin Amidu opens probe in airbus scandal

• Posted on February 10, 2020February 10, 2020
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Office of the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has opened investigations into the Airbus bribery scandal allegedly involving some Ghanaian officials in the previous NDC admnistration.

The Ghana level investigations which are similar to others being undertaken across the world, follow a directive of President Nana Akufo-Addo for the SP to uncover the faces behind the bribery.

Mr. Akufo-Addo directed the Special Prosecutor to conduct an inquiry into the sordid affair, ascertaining the level of complicity or otherwise of any Ghanaian government official in the Airbus bribery scandal.

The order came after Airbus was fined $3.9 billion in the United Kingdom for the payments of bribes to secure deals in some countries including Ghana, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan.

Airbus was fined by the Crown Court at Southwark and the Serious Fraud Office of the United Kingdom.

The Statement of Facts in the case indicated that between 2009 and 2015, “a number of Airbus employees made or promised success based commission payments of approximately €5 million to intermediary 5.”

Intermediary 5 is said to be a close relative of a high ranking elected Ghanaian Government official during the Mills and John Mahama administrations between 2009 and January 2017.

In a statement dated February 10, signed by himself, Mr. Amidu explained that he has determined that the said referral and the deferred prosecution agreements and judgments accompanying them raise reasonable suspicion of the commission of corruption and corruption-related offences of bribery of public officers and the use of public office by public officers for private profit.

It therefore noted that “the relevant domestic public institutions which can assist the ongoing investigation have been contacted to provide information and documents under Act 959.”

The statement added that “contacts have also been initiated with the appropriate foreign authorities as provided by law for information and documents to assist the ongoing investigation.”

It has meanwhile appealed to the public not to politicise the matter.

BY Melvin Tarlue