Airbus Scandal: Alleged Bribery Under Mills - Mahama Administration False, Misleading — NDC
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described as misleading and false media reports that both the Mills - Mahama administrations took bribes from Airbus SE in exchange for business favours.
Airbus SE has been slapped with £3billion fine for paying bribes to 20 countries including Ghana between 2011 and 2015.
The UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) which investigated the deals in Ghana, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Taiwan detailed how the crime occurred pertaining to Ghana.
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office, however, in its statement of fact did not name the individual Ghanaian officials nor the Airbus agents involved in the crime, giving room for wide speculations with many suggesting that it would have been proper to make the names of the complicit officials public.
"It is therefore a gross distortion for the media to conclude that officials of the Ghana Government between 2009 and 2015 were bribed or paid any commissions by Airbus for the acquisition of the Casa C-295 aircraft, according to a statement issued today Sunday by Marietta Brew, former Attorney General & Minister for Justice.
Read full statement below:
Former Attorney General rebuffs reports on Airbus bribery claims Our attention has been drawn to media reports about a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) entered between Airbus SE and the United Kingdom Serious Fraud Office in respect of the practice of Airbus SE in paying commission to its agents and the use of those commissions.
The reports alleging that Airbus SE paid bribes during the administration of President John Evans Atta Mills and John Dramani Mahama are false, misleading and do not reflect the Approved Judgment.
Indeed, the Approved Judgment of the Crown Court of Southwark approving the DPA between Airbus and the UK Serious Fraud Office does not allege that any payment was made by Airbus to any Ghanaian Government official.
It is therefore a gross distortion for the media to conclude that officials of the Ghana Government between 2009 and 2015 were bribed or paid any commissions by Airbus for the acquisition of the Casa C-295 aircrafts.
SIGNED
Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong
Former Attorney General & Minister for Justice
Sunday February 02, 2020.