Airbus Bribery: Mahama Will Auction Ghana If Elected President — Abronye Fires
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe popularly known as Abronye DC has advised Ghanaians to reject former President John Mahama in the upcoming 2020 elections.
Abronye DC said this while reacting to the Airbus Bribery Scandal which cited some Ghanaian government officials who ruled Ghana between 2009 and 2015.
The unnamed Government Official 1 in the ruling, according to Abronye DC claimed is John Mahama, insisting he was on record as having been investigated over the purchase of an aircraft by the late President John Mills.
"Mahama is the first elected Government Official 1 so the President at the time cannot be absorbed from blame…it is John Mahama and he is very corrupt," he stated.
The controversial Bono Regional Chairman alleged that former President John Mahama was the most corrupt person in Ghana and should not be allowed to govern this country again.
"Mr. John Mahama is the most corrupt person to have ever ruled Ghana, he should not be allowed near the presidency again…he will auction Ghana when offer the opportunity to come any close to the presidency again…," he made this claim in an interview with this reporter.
Abronye seized the opportunity to urge Ghanaians to support the Special Prosecutor to go to UK High Court to know the name of Government Official 1 but he still believes the name is former President John Mahama and nothing else.
Background
Airbus, Europe's largest airplane manufacturer, admitted to paying bribes in Ghana and other countries between 2011 and 2015 in a sweeping investigation dating back to almost a decade.
The company has been fined 3 billion pounds for bribing public officials and fixers over a string of hidden payments as part of a pattern of worldwide corruption to facilitate the sales of its wares.
"The planemaker agreed to pay the penalties on Friday after reaching settlements with investigators in the UK, France, and the US to end inquiries that started four years ago,” UK's The Guardian newspaper reported.
The report follows the outcome of UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation that “Allison Clare, for the SFO, told the court the company had paid bribes in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ghana between 2011 and 2015.”
Airbus is accused of hiring and disguising payments to a close relative of a government officials in Ghana with no aerospace experience in connection with a sale of military transport planes, the SFO said.
The SFO noted that the bribery was intended to obtain or retain business or advantage in the conduct of business for Airbus.
According to the court document between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus defence company engaged an unnamed person, only identified as Intermediary 5, a close relative of a high ranking elected Ghana government official (also not named but referred to as Government Official 1), as its business partner in respect of the proposed sale of three aircraft to the government of Ghana.
“A number of ofAirbus employees knew that Intermediary five was a close relative of Government Official 1, a key decision-maker in respect of the sales.
However, “a number of Airbus employees made or promised success based commission payments of approximately €5 million to Intermediary 5.
“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 1towards Airbus,” the document suggests.
The document, sighted by Pulse.com.gh, said between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus defence company engaged an unnamed person, only identified as Intermediary 5, a close relative of a high ranking elected Ghana government official (also not named but referred to as Government Official 1), as its business partner in respect of the proposed sale of three aircraft to the government of Ghana.
“A number of ofAirbus employees knew that Intermediary five was a close relative of Government Official 1, a key decision-maker in respect of the sales.
However, “a number of Airbus employees made or promised success based commission payments of approximately €5 million to Intermediary 5.
“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 1towards Airbus,” the document said.
It will be recalled that the Ghana Air Force acquired three aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space between 2011 and 2015.
It will also be recalled that in 2012, Martin Amidu (now Special Prosecutor) revealed that late President Mills set up a Committee of Enquiry to investigate the acquisition of aircraft for the Armed Forces negotiated by President John Mahama.
Martin Amidu was the Attorney General under ex-President Mills before he was dismissed from office for an alleged insubordination.