President Akufo-Addo orders inquiry into military aircraft deal

The attention of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been drawn to a 31st January 2020 judgement of the Crown Court at Southwark, in the United Kingdom, between the Director of the Serious Fraud Office and Airbus SE, in which the European multinational aerospace corporation has been fined $3.9 billion for the payment of bribes to secure deals in five countries, including Ghana.

According to the Statement of Facts in the case, between 2009 and 2015, “a number of Airbus employees made or promised success based commission payments of approximately 6.5 million to Intermediary 5”, who is said to be “a
close relative of a high ranking elected Ghanaian Government official (Government Official 1)”. Significantly, “Government Official 1 was a key decision-maker in respect of Government of Ghana aircraft orders”.

The payments to Intermediary by officials of Airbus SE were, thus, “intended to induce or reward improper favour by Government Official 1” over the purchase of three (3) C-295 military transport aircraft. Indeed, out of the E5
million promised Intermediary 5, E3.85 million was paid between March 2012 and February 2014.

President Akufo-Addo has taken notice of the judgment and its implications and has referred it to the Office of Special Prosecutor to collaborate with its UK counterparts to conduct a prompt inquiry to determine the complicity or otherwise of any Ghanaian government official, past or present, involved in the said scandal, and to take the necessary legal action against any such official, as required by Ghanaian law.