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AirAsia Group said Chief Executive Tony Fernandes and Chairman Kamarudin Meranun would step aside for at least two months while both the airline and government probed allegations.
In a joint statement, the two co-founders of Asia’s largest budget airline denied any wrongdoing or misconduct.
“We would not harm the very companies that we spent our entire lives building up to their present global status.”
Fernandes, one of aviation’s best-known executives, already faces domestic pressure after backing former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2018 elections.
Najib was ousted by Mahathir Mohamad, prompting Fernandes to apologise for backing the loser.
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AirAsia, AirAsiaX named among recipients of bribes by Airbus to secure contracts
FMT Reporters – February 1, 2020
KUALA LUMPUR: Two “executives” at budget airlines AirAsia and AirAsiaX have been mentioned in legal documents listing instances of bribery by Airbus to secure contracts through corrupt middlemen to sell its aircraft worldwide, Britain’s The Telegraph reports.
The documents are part of a multi-billion dollar settlement reached with anti-graft authorities in Britain, France and the US, after the European plane maker admitted to “endemic levels of bribery across its international business”, the paper said today.
It said Airbus had handed over more than 30 million documents to investigators.
In the settlement, Airbus agreed to pay nearly €1 billion (RM4.5 billion) in the UK, €2.1 billion (RM9.5 billion) in France and €530 million (RM2.4 billion) in the US.
Citing documents attached to the settlement, The Telegraph reported that Airbus paid US$50 million (RM204 million) and offered US$55 million (RM225 million) more to sponsor a sports team linked to two unnamed “key decision makers” at AirAsia and AirAsiaX.
“The airlines ordered 180 aircraft from Airbus, with the executives described as being ‘rewarded in respect of the aircraft order’ which the document said was ‘secured by way of improper payments’,” the daily said.
It also cited an angry email from one of the executives to a senior Airbus official.
“You owe me four million already and I’m owed 16 million in total. This should have been paid ages ago when I bought the first 60 aircraft. I want my money,” the paper quoted the email.
Apart from Malaysia, the UK part of the settlement involves bribery allegations in Indonesia, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Ghana, between 2011 and 2015.
In France, Airbus is accused of paying bribes in 16 countries to land contracts from airlines, including in Russia, China and Taiwan.
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MACC in touch with UK authorities over AirAsia, AirAsia X graft claims
FMT Reporters – February 1, 2020
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that it is in touch with the UK authorities over corruption allegations implicating Airbus and two executives of AirAsia.
Chief commissioner Latheefa Koya said they are probing the matter.
“Under the MACC Act, we are empowered, and have jurisdiction, to investigate any act of corruption committed by any Malaysian citizen or permanent resident in any place outside Malaysia,” she said in a statement.
It was earlier reported that two “executives” at budget airlines AirAsia and AirAsia X have been mentioned in legal documents, listing instances of bribery by Airbus to secure contracts through corrupt middlemen to sell its aircraft worldwide, according to Britain’s The Telegraph.
The documents are part of a multi-billion dollar settlement reached with anti-graft authorities in Britain, France and the US, after the European plane maker admitted to “endemic levels of bribery across its international business”, the paper said today.
It said Airbus had handed over more than 30 million documents to investigators.
In the settlement, Airbus agreed to pay nearly €1 billion (RM4.5 billion) in the UK, €2.1 billion (RM9.5 billion) in France and €530 million (RM2.4 billion) in the US.
Citing documents attached to the settlement, The Telegraph reported that Airbus paid US$50 million (RM204 million) and offered US$55 million (RM225 million) more to sponsor a sports team linked to two unnamed “key decision-makers” at AirAsia and AirAsia X.
“The airlines ordered 180 aircraft from Airbus, with the executives described as being ‘rewarded in respect of the aircraft order’, which the document said was ‘secured by way of improper payments’,” the daily had said.
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Transport minister says he has no knowledge of any bribes linked to Airbus
S Arulldas – February 1, 2020
GEORGE TOWN: Transport Minister Loke Siew Took today refused to comment on allegations of bribery involving Airbus and executives of AirAsia and AirAsia X.
He said reporters should ask AirAsia for comments as he had also come to know of the issue through news reports on the issue.
“I don’t know anything about it,” he said.
Loke was asked to comment on an FMT report, quoting The Telegraph from the United Kingdom, stating that two “executives” at AirAsia and AirAsiaX had been mentioned in legal documents listing instances of bribery by Airbus to secure contracts through corrupt middlemen to sell its aircraft worldwide.
The documents are part of a multi-billion dollar settlement reached with anti-graft authorities in Britain, France and the US, after the European plane maker admitted to “endemic levels of bribery across its international business”, the paper said today.
Loke was speaking at a press conference after the launching of the RM500 million Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal upgrading project here.
Also present were Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Chow said the state government was committed to upgrading the wharves in Butterworth.
He said the plan to develop Penang Bay will be brought to the World Forum 10 in Abu Dhabi next week and state executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo would head the delegation.
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weehingthong 