5 February 020
Airbus paid bribes to China, Colombia, Nepal, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia (Arabsat), Taiwan, Russia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Ghana. But only few countries have started investigating the reported offences. So far only Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Columbia have started investigations. Perhaps other counties may start their investigations in due course.
Kapila Chandrasena
Sri Lanka: Airbus corruption
The CID, yesterday evening, launched a search for former Sri Lankan CEO Kapila Chandrasena and his wife, Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, over a questionable aircraft deal. A senior CID officer said an arrest warrant had been obtained and a special team deployed to look for the suspects.
CID submitted to the Attorney General’s Department that at a Standard Chartered Bank account maintained in the name of Biz Solutions in Singapore, the only director and shareholder of which was Chandrasena’s wife Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, was paid $ 2 million by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) N.V., the parent company of Airbus SAS in December 2013. In 2014 Euros 600,000 of this money was transferred to a bank account held by Kapila Chandrasena at the Commonwealth Bank in Australia (account no. 632361019170).
Sri Lanka’s previous government also called for a criminal investigation into the 2013 purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft, but it petered out without conclusion.
UK export credit agency UKEF said that Airbus misled over her name and gender, while paying her company $2 million, the SFO said.
Ghana: Airbus corruption
President Nana Akufo-Addo’s office said Ghana would “conduct a prompt inquiry to determine the complicity or otherwise of any Ghanaian government official, past or present”.
Airbus payments amounting to €5 million were made to a relative of a government official in connection with the purchase of military transport planes. It is said that two unnamed British television actors were involved in the scam.
Colombia: Airbus corruption
Airline Avianca said it had hired a law firm to investigate its relationship with Airbus and determine if it had been a victim of wrongdoing.
A 3-Member Committee was established to investigate John Dramani Mahama on the acquisition of 5 aircrafts and hanger for the armed forces. But when one of the committee members died, John Mahama conveniently dissolved the Committee.
Reuters reported.
