Airbus CEO Thomas Enders is preparing staff of aircraft and armaments group for sensitive penalties for corruption, according to information provided by Reuters news agency. Investigations in UK and France could lead to “considerable penance”, says a letter from Enders to 130 000 employees. Airbus would be faced with “turbulent and confusing times”. The group had shown 2016 to British authorities mselves. The Board of Directors, despite impending penalties behind him and chief counsel John Harrison, wrote Enders. He should also support staff, Board and Board of Directors.
A suspicion of bribery in sale of Eurofighter fighter aircraft to Republic of Austria has been going on for years, Public Prosecutor’s office in Munich I and public Prosecutor’s Office in Vienna. In past decade, at that time under EADS trading, Airbus had made numerous dubious payments in connection with Austrian business in amount of around 90 million euros to letterbox companies in half world. This is a classic pattern in cases of corruption. Or strange operations are added to Eurofighter. However, Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office may not be able to prove any bribery, as final recipients could not be identified in many cases. Now everything is going to be a charge or a criminal order against various former Airbus managers for misappropriation of corporate assets, because group has spent money without being able to prove a purpose.
The Republic of Austria, which had paid around 1.6 billion euros for fighter planes, accuses Airbus of fraud and calls for compensation. Airbus rejects this. Austria also wants to gradually redesign Eurofighter. In addition, in Vienna, in contrast to Munich, group chief Enders is also being determined. Airbus, in turn, has hired ex-federal finance minister Theo Waigel to investigate operations. Not only internal processes within group, but also corporate culture are to be examined.
Heroes in descent pilots once enjoyed great prestige, sumptuous salaries and an early retirement. These privileges are at risk by low-cost flyers. The aircraft leaders react with frustration and aggression to ir descent. By Karl-Heinz Büschemann more…
