Airbus paid bribes to top Ghanaian officials between 2009 and 2015 - British court documents reveal

Airbus paid bribes to top Ghanaian officials between 2009 and 2015 - British court documents reveal

- Ghana named in bribery and corruption ruling in Airbus case in UK

- A British court has fined aviation company Airbus 3 billion pounds for indulging in bribery and corruption

- The judgment stated that between 2009 and 2015 Airbus officials engaged top Ghanaian officials in a corrupt deal under the Mills-Mahama administration

- Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

A British court documents has revealed that Europe’s largest aerospace multinational company, Airbus paid bribes to some top Ghanaian officials during the Mills-Mahama era between 2009-2015.

According to the document sighted by YEN.com.gh, Ghana is amongst five countries Airbus paid millions of dollars in bribes to in exchange for contracts.

The conduct and act of the European aviation company, Airbus has led to a British court slapping a fine of 3 billion pounds (£3bn) as penalties on the company.

READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Ghana named among 13 top-risk African countries

Airbus admitted wrongdoing after agreeing to five counts of failing to prevent bribery, using a network of secret agents to pay large-scale backhanders to officials in foreign countries, including Ghana, to land high-value contracts.

According to reports in the British media, this is one of the biggest corporate fines for bribery offense in the world.

The judges who heard the case described the corruption as “grave, pervasive and pernicious.”

The planemaker agreed to pay the penalties on Friday, January 31, 2020 after reaching settlements with investigators in the UK, France and the US to end inquiries that started four years ago,” the report stated.

The court document stated that between July 1, 2011, and June 1, 2015, Airbus failed to stop or prevent its officials from bribing Government of Ghana officials in the purchase of a military transport aircraft.

The court noted that bribery was intended to obtain or retain business or advantage in the conduct of business for Airbus SE.

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Ghana under late President John Atta-Mills in 2011 and former President John Mahama in 2015, acquired three Airbus C295 planes from the company as part of an effort to augment and modernize the fleet of the Ghana Armed Forces.

It emerged that the first order of the military aeroplane arrived in the country on November 17, 2011, followed by a second on March 19, 2012. The last order arrived in the country on December 4, 2015.

READ ALSO: Opportunity knocks once; Mahama has missed his chance - Nunoo Mensah

President John Dramani Mahama, in November 2014, announced that Ghana was to acquire an additional C295, in addition to other aircraft, including five Super Tucanos, Mi-17s and four Z-9s.

A total of about $150 million was spent in acquiring all the three aircraft, one of which overshot the runway recently. Ghana's Ministry of Defence stated that the accident happened because the aircraft had not gone for its scheduled maintenance.

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the Energy Ministry has began the installation of solar panels at the seat of government, the Jubilee House.

The project which has started is expected to provide 912 kilowatts of energy to power 60% of the Jubilee House. According to Minister of Energy, John Peter Amewu the project will be completed by June 2020.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

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