The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has alerted law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest four persons for their roles in the infamous Airbus €3million bribery saga.
The four are Samuel Adam Mahama, a brother of former President John Dramani Mahama, Sarah Furneaux, Sarah Leanne Davis and Philip Sean Middlemiss.
They have all been declared “fugitives wanted for prosecution”, and are being pursued for accepting and paying €3,909,756 as bribe, on behalf of AIRBUS SE, to some key Ghanaian public officials from the period of 2009 to 2015.
Summary of facts
According to the summary of facts of the case, as set out in the “Red Notice”, between 2009 and 2015, AIRBUS SE engaged Samuel Adam Mahama and Philip Sean Middlemiss to accept and pay €3.9 million as bribe to some Ghanaian public officials to approve the sale of three C-295 military aircraft to Ghana.
It states further that the suspects, together with their accomplices, Sarah Leanne Davis and Sarah Furneaux, in order to conceal and facilitate the bribery payment, incorporated Deedum Ltd. Ghana, Deedum Ltd. UK, and Furneaux Ltd UK to consult on behalf of AIRBUS SE.
“The suspects and their accomplices succeeded in using the companies and intermediaries to receive the bribe money from AIRBUS SE. Subsequently, the suspects and their accomplices paid bribes to key public officials to influence their decision to purchase three aircrafts on behalf of Ghana,” the notice added.
The €3.9 million bribe was said to have been offered “to influence and induce public officials in Ghana in their decision making, which gave AIRBUS SE an overbearing and overriding advantage in the sale of the three aircraft to the Government of Ghana.”
Particulars of fugitives
Samuel Adam Mahama is charged with “accepting a bribe to influence a public officer” and “acting in collaboration with a Public Officer for the Public Officer’s Private Profit”, as set out in Sections 179C(b), 179D, and 252(1) of the Criminal Offences Act. If convicted and found guilty, he could face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
Born in Tamale on December 14, 1962 to Emmanuel Adamah Mahama and Nnaba Suluwu, his current Ghanaian passport was guaranteed by former President as the first guarantor, and Alfred Abdulai Mahama, described as a civil servant, as second guarantor.
It is believed that the three, Alfred, John and Samuel are brothers of the full blood in descending order of seniority. His UK address is: 19 Avenue Road Penge, London, SE20 7RT, UK.
Philip Sean Middlemiss, who has been charged with “accepting a bribe to influence a public officer” and “acting in collaboration with a Public Officer for the Public Officer’s Private Profit”, as set out in Sections 179C (b), 179D, and 252(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, could also face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted and found guilty.
He has listed his pre-2009 employment as a UK television actor and film director, and described himself, during the Airbus SE bribery transaction, as a Project Manager. His address in Ghana has predominantly been stated as House No. 19 Agostinho Neto Road, Airport Residential Area, Accra.
Business
Samuel Adam Mahama and Philip Sean Middlemiss were in Ghana at the same time, and are directors and shareholders of DEEDUM LIMITED, which was issued with a Certificate to Commence Business on December 8, 2009, with registration number CA-67,930, and TIN 524V056743. Along with Sarah Leanne Davis, they incorporated a company of the same name DEEDUM LIMITED in the UK in February 2010.
DEEDUM LIMITED (UK) was the corporate vehicle through which Samuel Adam Mahama and his associates purported to have provided services to Airbus to facilitate the suspected commission of corruption and corruption-related offences against Ghana in the sale of the C-295 aircraft.
Sarah Furneaux/Sarah Leanne Davis
Sarah Furneaux is charged with “accepting a bribe to influence a public officer” and “acting in collaboration with a Public Officer for the Public Officer’s Private Profit”, as set out in Sections 179C(b), 179D, and 252(1) of the Criminal Offences Act. If convicted and found guilty, she could face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
Born on May 18, 1964, at Leicester, she is a director with Samuel Adam Mahama, who is “her partner or spouse” in Furneaux Aviation Ltd since February 13, 2013, and now known as Furneaux Limited. Her address in Ghana, just as Philip Sean Middlemiss, is House No. 19 Agostinho Neto Road, Airport Residential Area, Accra. They were engaged in the second campaign to sell the third aircraft to the Government of Ghana, acting as fronts for the Ghanaian elected public official or officials.
Sarah Leanne Davis has also been charged with “accepting a bribe to influence a public officer” and “acting in collaboration with a Public Officer for the Public Officer’s Private Profit”, as set out in Sections 179C(b), 179D, and 252(1) of the Criminal Offences Act. If convicted and found guilty, she could face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
She became a director and shareholder with “her partner or spouse”, Philip Sean Middlemiss of DEEDUM LIMITED (UK), after Samuel Adam Mahama ceased his directorship. She is an intermediary referred to in the Statement of Facts and judgment of the UK Crown Court, and was also a former UK television actress.
Background
The investigation against Samuel Adam Mahama, Philip Sean Middlemiss, Sarah Furneaux and Sarah Leanne Davis forms part of a wider investigation by the UK Serious Fraud Office, the French Parquet National Financier, the United States Department of Justice, and the US Department of State into global corruption by AIRBUS SE in the sale of its aircraft to six countries, including Ghana.
The outcome of the global investigation against AIRBUS SE resulted in the deferred prosecution agreement contained in the United Kingdom judgment, in Director of the Serious Fraud Office v AIRBUS SE (Case No.: U20200108) and the United States of America judgement, in the case of United States of America v AIRBUS SE (Case No.: 1:20-cr-00021 (TFH)) made on 31st January, 2020.
The Office of Special Prosecutor is collaborating 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, and to take the necessary legal action against any such official, as required by Ghanaian law.
Source: Daily Statesman
