The chief prosecutor in the Mabey and Johnson bribery case in the United Kingdom has explained why Ghanaian officials allegedly given monies were named in the trial. Mr John Hardy said the case would have turned “artificial” had the prosecution on the case anonymised the Ghanaian top officials who Mabey and Johnson claimed gave monies to influence the award of contracts. "It would have been artificial not to name them because if we didn’t name we wouldn’t be able to explain to the court what level (of influence they had) in the Ghanaian society," he added. Mr Hardy disclosed these when he appeared on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show ahead of a series of public lecturers he is due to deliver within the week. The identities of the directors of M&J who were involved in the scandal were concealed under code names. Mr Hardy explained that investigations by the UK Serious Fraud Office into the matter are still underway and that naming the company’s directors who engaged in the dubious act during the trial would have “prejudiced the prospects of any trial in the UK.” "It was decided that the case against the company should proceed irrespective of the stage of development of any investigations against the directors. And so when the case against the company came before the court, investigations against the directors were still underway and to name them would jeopardize the prospect of any trial of them in the United Kingdom," he said. The multinational company was fined UK£6,6 million by the Southwark Crown Court in the UK for paying bribes to some top officials in some countries including Ghana in the 1980s and 90s. The issue torched off intense debate in the country resulting in the indictment of former Health Minister Dr Sipa Yankey, who has since denied ever receiving bribes from the company. John Hardy is due to meet the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), he is not expected to provide information on the Mabey and Johnson scandal trial. As he is in the country in a private capacity, Mr Hardy says he would only share experiences with the commission. The UK state attorney will deliver two public lectures under the auspices of the Danquah Institute. The first lecture themed “Protecting Ghana and Ghana’s Emerging Financial Offshore Centre from Money Laundering,” will touch mainly on money laundering in Ghana as an oil producing country. Mr Hardy will deliver his second and final at the K.A. Busia Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon, under the theme: “International Corruption - How Ghana can Collaborate with the UK and Others to Beat it.” Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana