hit Microsoft and a former South African partner, EOH Mthombo, over a dodgy government contract, a whistle-blower has alleged that the case was just the tip of the iceberg: that the US software giant is routinely involved in bribery and other malfeasance across Africa and the Middle East.
In his explosive essay, Elabd estimated that at least US$200-million/year is being channelled irregularly to Microsoft employees, partners and government employees through allegedly corrupt schemes across the company’s operations in Africa and the Middle East. In a statement responding to the Elabd’s allegations, Microsoft said: “We believe we’ve previously investigated these allegations, which are many years old, and addressed them.”
“A general manager told me people panicked when I came to the subsidiary offices, and I had become ‘one of the most hated persons in Africa’. Only later did I realise this was because I asked too many questions; I was stopping people from skimming money off their deals.” He said the documents from his former colleagues “clarified other situations that had raised red flags for me years before”. He wrote: