It has emerged that Europe’s largest aerospace multinational Airbus paid bribes to high ranking Ghanaian public officials in processes leading to a planned purchase of military aircraft by Ghana between 2009 and 2015.
Four other countries have also been mentioned in a trial heard in London reported by the Guardian website.
The company admitted to the UK court five counts of failing to prevent bribery, had used a network of secret agents to pay large-scale backhanders to officials in foreign countries to land high-value contracts. As a result, the court has fined it pay a record £3bn in penalties.
The bribe payment was undertaken by Airbus French headquarters, which its one-time chief executive Tom Enders reportedly called “bullshit castle”.
Ghana purchased three Airbus C295 from the company as part of an effort to augment and modernise the fleet of the Ghana Armed Forces between 2011 and 2015.