logo-loader

easyJet founder publishes further questions for chairman regarding Airbus deal

Published: 07:46 09 Jul 2020 EDT

easyJet plc - easyJet founder publishes further questions for chairman regarding Airbus deal

easyJet PLC (LON:EZJ) founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou has submitted questions to the airline’s chairman John Barton to be asked at the general meeting on July 14.

Haji-Ioannou has been battling with the board to scrap a £4.5bn aircraft order signed with Airbus, arguing it would drive the company’s finances into the ground and even offered a £5mln bounty to any whistleblower holding information that could help scrap the deal.

READ: easyJet to shut bases at Stansted, Southend and Newcastle

He tried to kick out the chairman, chief executive and chief financial officer, but shareholders voted against his proposal.

The Greek-Cypriot entrepreneur said on Thursday the board had been “dishonest” to declare the air carrier was a going concern on May 22, since it raised more equity on June 24, so he is whether the directors were aware of the need for more cash a month before that.

He also added that, since easyJet did not terminate the contract with Airbus, the repayment of a £600mln government loan is “in serious doubt”, so he is asking whether the Bank of England or HM Treasury have been in contact about the loan.

Haji-Ioannou added his private investment vehicle, easyGroup, has information from four separate whistleblowers suggesting the Airbus deal was agreed after financial or other incentives were offered or given by Airbus to certain easyJet directors through offshore companies created, controlled or directed by Swiss lawyer Marc Bonnant.

Shares in easyJet rose 1% to 660.8p on Thursday early afternoon.

Australian Strategic Materials signs US$600 million LoI

Rowena Smith, CEO and managing director of Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASX:ASM, OTC:ASMMF), joins Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio to discuss the company’ s Dubbo Project, in Central West New South Wales. This project aims to extract and process critical minerals and rare earth...

5 hours, 32 minutes ago