Opinions of Monday, 3 February 2020

Columnist: Benjamin Essuman

There was no corruption in Airbus scandal

Former President John Mahama Former President John Mahama

In the course of a busy weekend following the release of court documents that accuse Airbus of using unfair trade practices to enable them sell their Military Aircraft C-295 to Ghana, it is important to separate the facts from the propaganda and noise making.

A careful and deeper reading of the settlement agreement between Airbus and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of UK, does not support the corruption allegations being leveled on social media against former government officials mostly by NPP hirelings.

The following facts remain uncontested and rubbish the NPP baseless propaganda.

1. Airbus hired a British with a Ghanaian heritage and his Company to be their Agent in brokering a Sales and Purchase Agreement with the Ghanaian Government.

2. Airbus paid the agent Fees (commission) to the British Company, in line with the contract between the two companies.

3. Airbus never stated in the court files that it had paid money to a Ghanaian official.

4. The UK SFO which investigated Airbus did not say Ghana government has lost moneys in the process of buying the military jets from Airbus.

5. Government of Ghana did not pay the British Company that was working as agent for Airbus.

6. No Ghanaian official was accused of having denied competitors of Airbus the opportunity to win the contract to supply the aircrafts to the military.

7. Nowhere in the document was it alleged that the cost of the aircrafts was inflated to the disadvantage of Ghana.

8. Ghana used the funds secured for defence purposes to purchase the military aircrafts to boost the capacity of the Ghana Armed Forces.

9. Airbus did not allege that the Ghanaian Government Official benefited from the agency Fees paid to the British agent.

10. The SFO did not establish that the Agent (Intermediary 5) passed on their commission / fees (£3 million fees) to the Ghanaian Officer.