Akufo-Addo tasks Martin Amidu to probe Airbus bribery scandal

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has referred the Airbus bribery scandal which fingered the government of Ghana to the Special Prosecutor, tasking him to investigate the matter. On January 31, Ghana was cited as one of five countries in which global aerospace group, Airbus SE, allegedly bribed or promised payments to senior officials in exchange for business favours between 2009 and 2015, according to the UK’s Serious Fraud Office. This led to a record £3 billion in settlement by Airbus with France, the United Kingdom and the United States to avoid corporate criminal charges. A statement from the presidency signed by Eugene Arhin, the investigation is expected to be in conjunction with authorities in the United Kingdom. “Special Prosecutor Office will 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”, the statement indicated. The President also wants the “necessary legal action taken against any such official, as required by Ghanaian law.” Meanwhile the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which was in power during the period the bribes were allegedly paid, denied the suggestions of corruption from key state actors. A statement signed by former Attorney General, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong argued that media reports on the matter did not capture the true reflection of the approved judgement of the case in the UK. By editors.3news.com|Ghana