Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has urged political parties to stop politicizing the issue of the Airbus bribery scandal.
A statement issued and signed by him, says the appropriate offices have been contacted to assist the office of the SP to properly investigate the scandal.
“The Office of the Special Prosecutor appeals to the public not to speculate or politicize the disclosures made in the deferred prosecution agreements and judgment so as to allow this Office to treat the suspected crimes as suspected crimes simpliciter and nothing more, pending the conclusion of the investigation”.
If you may recall, President Akufo-Addo referred the matter to the Office of the Special Prosecutor after court documents from the UK and the US surfaced alleging wrongdoing by Airbus SE in a series of business deals in countries including Ghana.
According to Martin Amidu, the Office of the SP commenced investigation on 4th February 2020.
Per the statement, the SP "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, which are offences falling within the mandate of this Office under the Officer of the Special Prosecutor, Act, 2017 (Act 959)".
Airbus Bribery Scandal
The bribery scandal cited Ghana, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Taiwan as destinations where Airbus, the largest aerospace multinational in Europe, admitted that it paid huge bribes in order to secure contracts.
The Crown Court at Southwark in the United Kingdom passed judgment on 31st January 2020, between the Director of the Serious Fraud Office and Airbus SE, in which the European multinational aerospace corporation was fined $3.9 billion for the payment of bribes to secure deals in the five countries named Ghana.
The London High Court found Airbus guilty and imposed a fine of three billion pounds (£3bn) as penalties.
Airbus was charged with five counts of failing to prevent bribery, having used a network of secret agents to pay large-scale backhanders to officials in foreign countries to land high-value contracts.
In the case of Ghana, the operations were reported to have taken place between 2009 and 2015; during which period John Dramani Mahama served as Vice President and then later as President.
Meanwhile, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are playing political football with the issue.
Even though no name was mentioned in the UK Crown Court in Southwark's ruling, the NPP at a press conference, was categorical that government official 1 is Mahama and has, therefore, asked him to break his silence over the allegation.
The NDC has refuted any wrongdoing.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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APASCA. THIS IS PURE DAMAGED CONTROL NSO APASKA. NDC IS DOING ALL THEY CAN TO DIVERT THE AIRBUS SCANDALLL NARRATIVES AWAY FROM MAHAMA, CORRUPTION AND BRIBERY. UNFORTUNATELY THE MORE THEY TRY THE MORE THEY MUDDY THE WATERS. SOME CONSIDER THE CASE TRIVIAL AND WONDER WHY SHOULD MUCH ATTENTION BE GIVEN TO IT. CONTRARY, OTHERS IN THE SAME PARTY CLAIM THAT THE WORK IS TOO BIG FOR MARTIN AMIDU TO HANDLE. THEY HAVE SOON FORGOTTEN THAT MARTIN AMIDU IS INTERESTED IN GARGANTUAN CASES. MARTIN AMIDU WANTS TO DO THINGS WHICH HAS NO PRECEDENCE IN THE HISTORY OF THE NATION. THIS IS FINE OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM. HE MAY NEVER BECOME PRESIDENT BUT MAY GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS CAPABLE TO INCRIMINATE PRESIDENT. NOW HE HAS THE ALL THE TOOLS, AND THE SUPPORT. ALL EYES ARE ON HIM. IT IS BREAK OR MAKE FOR MARTIN.
How is he even going to invite people for investigation when their names have not been mentioned in the judgment. Government official one could even be a member of parliament so who is he going to invite. Maybe nana addo's dead father. Because you cannot invite anyone without making reference to his recognize name.
I do not understand Amidu. He was the one who issued the legal opinion for the purchase of the aiircraft? f he hasd some credibity, he should recuse immediately. You cannot be a judge and jury in your own case.
NDC nie Cotton nie NDC nie Aibus nie, NDC nia SADA nie abaaa ndc
MR AMIDU YOU WERE THE AG ATTHAT SAID TIME I HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU TO COME OUT ANDS SAY SOMETHING , WHY ARE YOU OFFICIAL 4 ????? WELL THE BETTER YOU SOLVE THE SITUATION THE BETTER IT WILL BE FOR ALL OF US.
Setting a probe for 3 million dollars of which no Ghanaian official was sited in taking bribe or gave bribe in the UK crown court ruling,whilst Npp officials stole 180 million dollars from PDS scandal and up till now no probe for the PDS ***barred word*** i think npp are walking with their heads down instead of their legs.What a failed government
The police CID have made arrests on the excavator issue. We need arrests on the airbus issue which is ***barred word*** exposed on a global scale bringing disgrace to mother Ghana. John Ford Mahama is corrupt, no doubt about that. His cup is full and this time we will see it Fili Fili. Ndc must make a decision soon.
Speak about the missing excavators too..this selective amnesia must stop
Massa, Mahama and Ndc better prepare. Heat is coming. For sure they know already that they are implicated. But the day Martin reveals that indeed it is JM and his brother, the 2020 elections will be over. Mark it.
This warning goes to your own party people the NPP. They are used to giving a dog a bad name to hang it.A wild goose chase