Posted by By SAMUEL OGIDAN, Abuja on
As the controversy surrounding the N19.5b meant for the intervention in the aviation industry continue to unfold, the Managing Director of Avsatel Communication Ltd, George Eder has denied bribing former Aviation minister, Prof. Babalola Borishade and Director-General of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Captain Roland Iyayi.
As the controversy surrounding the N19.5b meant for the intervention in the aviation industry continue to unfold, the Managing Director of Avsatel Communication Ltd, George Eder has denied bribing former Aviation minister, Prof. Babalola Borishade and Director-General of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Captain Roland Iyayi.
Eder, an Austrian contractor who handled part of the aviation contract to provide safety installation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Port Harcourt International Airport towers for N6.5bn, said it was not true that he inflated the contract price or bribe the former minister.
As one of the beneficiaries of the contracts awarded during the tenure of Prof. Borishade, the Avsatel managing director affirmed that the contract sum of N6.5billion was not at variance with the job done.
While fielding questions from reporters in Abuja at the weekend, Eder stated that the alleged N1billion bribe he gave to Borishade, as reported by the media while he was still in EFCC custody was not true, th adding at there was never anytime he bribed the former minister or made such statement.
"I do herewith categorically and clearly state that I have never made such statements, which do not contain any truth or reality. I have never bribed and I will never do so. I respect the laws of the land.
"The only crime I committed was that I performed. I did not go through people to get the contract or asked them to make thing easy for me. Everything was done according to the agreement of the contract," he stated.
It would be recalled that this controversial aviation contract led the EFCC operatives to pick Prof. Borishade after his testimony before the Senate Committee on Aviation at the National Assembly and arraign him in court for fraud..