FACES OF CORRUPTION

…How Rawlings, Atta Mills Presided Over Kick-Back Galore!
If ever there has been two politicians in our country who have built their entire political careers on their alleged abhorrence for corruption, it is former President Jerry John Rawlings and President Professor John Evans Atta Mills.From the way they speak, one would think that even butter would not melt on their tongues! Now it is turning out when the two men were first in government in NDC (1) (Rawlings was President and Atta Mills was his Vice) there was widespread corruption, to the extent that a multinational company has now admitted in a London court that it is guilty of paying bribes on a wide scale to members of the NDC government when it was first in power, with anti-corruption crusaders Rawlings and Atta Mills at the helm of affairs!
At Crown Court number 1 at Southwark, UK, with Judge Rivlin presiding, a large number of the public, press and representatives from the Ghana High Commission were in attendance when the case affecting British multi-national Mabey and Johnson was brought up for hearing. The packed courtroom saw 16 legal representatives, including officials from the Serious Fraud Office in attendance. Even though the hearings are at a preliminary stage, so far Mabey and Johnson have pleaded guilty to three out of the ten charges filed, namely Charges 1, 5 and 9

The matter had been transferred from Westminster Magistrates Court following a hearing on 10 July 2009.Mabey and Johnson entered a plea of guilty to three (out of the 10 charges). The relevant charge, Charge 1 is as follows: First Charge relating to Ghana bribes"Between the 1st day of January 1994 and 18th day of August 1999, conspired with certain of its directors, executives, employees and agents to give or agree to give corrupt payments contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 to Ministers, officials and other agents of the Government of Ghana as inducements to secure, or as rewards for having secured contracts from the Government of Ghana, known as "Priority Bridge Programme 1", Priority Bridge Programme 2" and "Feeder Roads Projects" for the supply of goods to the said Government of Ghana by Mabey and Johnson Limited. Contrary to Section 1 of Criminal Law Act 1977”.

Since he burst onto the political limelight in 1979, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings has made a fetish out of his so-called abhorrence for corruption, and has consistently accused members of opposing political factions of corruption, a line that is closely towed by his political acolyte Professor John Evans Atta Mills, who served Rawlings for the relevant period as Vice President.Today Atta Mils is President of Ghana, but he never loses opportunity to sound off on his alleged hatred for corruption. For him and his credibility, the upcoming revelations in the London court should be very interesting!On Friday, following the preliminary hearing, Presiding Judge Rivlin adjourned the case to Friday 25th September at 10.00 for further hearing.