Airbus Scandal: We will picket at Mahama’s office on November 16 – Ernest Owusu Bempah
Fixing the Country Movement has notified the Ghana Police Service of their intention to exercise their constitutional rights under Article 21(1)(d) and (f) of the 1992 Constitution to picket at the office of former President John Mahama on October, 16 2023.
About two weeks ago, Fixing the Country Movement notified the police service of their intention to engage in picketing and public manifestation at the frontage of the office of former President John Mahama.
It has been a marathon back and forth with the police regarding the date of the protest. The group has announced that on Thursday, 16th of November, 2023 has been slated as the day for their public manifestation.
According to them, they are organizing this public manifestation as a result of the nonchalant attitude being deployed by their investigative authorities on the Airbus corruption saga.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday October, 12 2023, the Convener of Fixing the country movement, Ernest Owusu Bempah said the Movement holds the view that Mr Mahama has a lot of questions to answer and as such we want to pursue a public manifestation to bring attention to the issues that have been allow to die a natural dead by our investigative authorities. They believe in public accountability and want to reiterate the point that no one is above accountability.
“As you may all be aware, it has been over three years when Airbus SE, a global provider of civilian and military aircraft based in France, agreed to pay combined penalties of nearly $4billion to resolve foreign bribery charges with authorities in the United States, France and the United Kingdom arising out of the Company’s scheme to use third-party business partners to bribe government officials around the world.”
Fixing the country movement said judicial records made public on 31st January, 2020 by the British and American authorities, which Airbus acknowledges to be true, shows that between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus subsidiary specializing in the defence sector hired the brother of a high-ranking Ghanaian elected official(Government Official 1), as well as a friend of the said brother and a third person to serve as commercial partners in the sale of three military transport aircraft, model C295, to Ghana.
As part of the global resolution, Airbus also entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over bribes paid in several countries, including Ghana.
The investigation revealed that Airbus engaged in a scheme from 2008 to 2015, offering and paying bribes to decision-makers and influencers to gain improper business advantages.
The movement asserts that the Ghanaian justice system should conduct a thorough inquiry into the Airbus corruption, as the former President Mahama may have significant questions to answer. Despite a year passing since the Special Prosecutor announced the new phase of investigations, there has been little progress on the matter.
Recently, Fixing the Country Movement petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor to provide an update on the case, but they have yet to receive a response. The movement plans to lead a citizen coalition in front of Mahama’s office to peacefully protest and demand answers.
The movement emphasizes that a nonchalant attitude towards the Airbus corruption affair is unacceptable, and it urges the relevant parties to take immediate action. The Ghanaian public deserves transparency and accountability in addressing this corruption scandal involving a former President.
