Owusu Bempah petitions OSP over Airbus Scandal
The Deputy Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ernest Owusu Bempah, has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) over the Airbus Scandal.
In the letter, which has been made available to GhanaWeb, the NPP executive called on the OSP to give the matter urgent attention so as to help Ghanaians put the matter to bed.
He explained that with the admittance from Airbus SE and the OSP’s own indication that it has an interest in the matter, some urgency should be given to it.
“As you are aware Airbus SE has admitted to paying nearly $4 billion to resolve foreign bribery and other charges with authorities in the United States, Britain and France…
“… It’s been over a year and the public is still in the dark as to where you’re with the investigations. Whereas I do not doubt the competence of your office to get to the bottom of this massive international corruption, I respectfully submit and appeal to your good office to take immediate action in helping the people of Ghana to put this matter behind us,” he wrote.
Ernest Owusu Bempah further described the scandal, which has been linked to the former president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama (rumoured to be Government Official 1), as the biggest corruption scandal ever in Ghana.
“The Airbus corruption is the biggest corruption case ever. Indeed, payment of bribes were made and received, and the biggest beneficiary as alleged was former President John Mahama, codenamed as GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1 in the US Court documents,” he added.
Recently, during his address at the opening of the 2023 Ghana Bar Conference at Cape Coast, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made reference to the Airbus Scandal.
Reacting to the allegation by John Dramani Mahama that he (Akufo-Addo) has packed the judiciary with a lot of politically-affiliated people to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the president used the Airbus Scandal as his reference point to ‘taint’ his predecessor.
“Not only are these concepts of ‘NPP’ and ‘NDC’ judges new in our public discourse, but they are also extremely dangerous, and represent the most brazen attack on the independence of the judiciary by any allegedly responsible politician of the 4th Republic.
“They provide another reason, if more were needed, why right-thinking citizens should ensure the defeat in 2024 of the man whom the first Special Prosecutor identified as Government Official No.1, in the still unresolved Airbus Bribery Scandal,” he said.
Read Ernest Owusu Bempah’s full letter to the OSP below:
Attention:
Kissi Agyebeng
The Special Prosecutor
Haile Gabrielle Selasse Ave Ridge-Accra
PETITION: Request For Action On The Airbus Corruption
Please accept my compliment.
I write to you to officially call for urgent action on the Airbus SE corruption.
As you are aware Airbus SE has admitted to paying nearly $4 billion to resolve foreign bribery and other charges with authorities in the United States, Britain and France.
The aircraft maker has also admitted using intermediaries over several years to bribe government officials and airline executives in order to win lucrative contracts the world over including Ghana.
Again, the company admitted hiring the brother of a top elected Ghanaian official as its consultant in the sale of the aircraft. Also, Airbus confessed paying the said consultant through a third party when its Compliance Unit raised red flags about the close relationship between the consultant and the top elected official who was a key decision maker in the purchase of the military aircraft.
And rightly so, your good office has signalled its intention to delve into the matter.
It’s been over a year and the public is still in the dark as to where you’re with the investigations.
Whereas I do not doubt the competence of your office to get to the bottom of this massive international corruption, I respectfully submit and appeal to your good office to take immediate action in helping the people of Ghana to put this matter behind us.
The Airbus corruption is the biggest corruption case ever. Indeed, payment of bribes were made and received, and the biggest beneficiary as alleged was former President John Mahama, codenamed as GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1 in the US Court documents.
Again, documents were falsified in making the payments to disguise the payment of bribes to GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1 is on the record of the Court as the recipient of the corrupt proceeds from this transaction.
Paragraph 136 of the US Court documents actually described Government official I as having a reputation for bribe taking.
It reads:
“Government Official 1” had such a reputation as a prolific bribe-collector that within three weeks of the election of the incoming Government, AND BEFORE IT WAS SWORN IN, Airbus reached agreement with brother of “Government Official 1,” described in the US version of Court documents as “Individual 1.”
Respectfully, everyone who is privy to the core details of the series of court documents published by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the United States and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of the United Kingdom cannot allege ignorance of the persons who have brought our nation into this international shame.
Bearing in mind the above realities, it is most unfortunate that your good office has, for political expediency, treated Mr Mahama with kids gloves.
Like most Ghanaians, I have grown sceptical about the lip service being paid to such a huge international corruption involving our former President.
I may not be a lawyer, but I suspect if those countries can benefit in fines from Airbus for corruption which our country was the real victim, then we believe that your investigations if it yields success can create an even bigger case for Ghana to also seek compensation from Airbus for the damage caused to our national treasury.
Respectfully sir, the nonchalant attitude being deployed on this matter ought to give way to real action.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah
Deputy Director of Communications, NPP
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