Accra, Ghana, February 8, 2020//-Ghana’s Member of Parliamentary for Assin South Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Rev John Ntim Fordjour has called for an urgent bipartisan Parliamentary Inquiry into the Airbus SE bribery scandal which hit the West African country.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday 7, February 2020, he argued the urgent need for Parliamentary Inquiry into the Airbus SE bribery scandal allegedly involving Ghana Government officials in the Military Aircraft Deal has become a matter of serious concern by the general public and in particular, the good people of constituency.
Rev Fordjour implored the House to explore its legitimate option fortified by Order 191 of the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana, to conduct inquiry into the matter, as an independent institution, to establish complicity or otherwise of Ghanaian government officials, past or present, relative to this Airbus bribery scandal.
The reports which emerged after the Airbus, manufacturer admitted in a UK court that it paid bribes to officials in some five countries including Ghana between 2009 and 2015 have ignited rumours in Ghana.
Rev Fordjour lamented that the highly reputed name of their beloved country Ghana was in no doubt brought into discredit on the 31st of January, 2020, following publication of rulings made by the Crown Court at Southwark, in the UK, between the Director of the Serious Fraud Office and Airbus SE, in which the European multinational aerospace corporation had been fined the sum of $3.9 billion for the payment of bribes to secure deals in five countries, including Ghana.
In corroboration of the same case, reference was made to the indictment of some Ghanaian officials who allegedly were recipients of bribes admitted by Airbus SE to have paid, as contained in the Deferred Prosecution Agreement of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, published on the 31st of January 2020; the case involving the United States of America versus Airbus SE.
“Mr. Speaker, the rather disturbing revelations contained in the Deferred Prosecution Agreementand Statement of Facts on the case reveal inter alia that, some officials of Airbus SE between 2009 and 2015 made or promised success based commission payments of approximately five million euros to Intermediary 5, who is alleged to be a close relative of a high ranking elected Ghanaian Government official (Government Official 1)”, Rev Fordjour told his colleague MPs.
Furthermore, Government Official 1 was said to be a key decision maker in respect of Government of Ghana aircraft orders.
The Statement of Facts further revealed that the payments to Intermediary 5 by officials of Airbus SE were thus, intended to induce or reward improper favor by Government Official 1 over the purchase of three (3) C-295 military transport aircraft and that out of the five million euros promised Intermediary 5, 3.85million euros was paid between March 2012 and February 2014.
Similarly, facts presented by the United States Department of Justice tothe District Court for the District of Columbia stated that “Individual 1” who was alleged to be an elected Ghanaian government official who was in office from 2009 to 2016, made direct contact with the management of Airbus SE in respect of the purchase of the aircraft a few months after he took office.
Meanwhile, the President has referred the matter to the Office of Special Prosecutor to collaborate with its UK’s counterparts to conduct a prompt inquiry to determine the complicity or otherwise of any Ghanaian government official, past or present.
He President Akufo-Addo assured that the necessary legal action would be taken against any official as required by the laws of Ghana if found culpable.
African Eye Report
