End It With A Lie

CHAPTER 6

   

   

  Simon had a beer with the electrician at 5.15, and at 6 o’clock was walking back towards the office and the fax machine. He found the key under the brick and opened the door. Some sheets of paper hung from the machine and Simon tore them off, found which end was the top of the page and began to read.

  He felt strangely nervous as his eyes focused on the opening lines of the facsimile

  My good friend Garry,

  This letter is to be on a letterhead, signed by company officials and stamped with a company seal.

   

  The Director General,

  Project Implementation Division,

  Ministry of Aviation,

  120 Narrow Road.

  Freetown.

  Dear Sir,

   

  RE: CONTRACT No MVA/P.I.R./94/0622

   

  (A) TARMAC PRECONSTRUCTION AND COMPUTERISATION OF TOWERS AT HASTINGS AIRFIELD

  (B) SUPPLY, ERECTION AND SYSTEM OPTIMISATION OF HANGARS

   

  With reference to your letter of 19th July 2008, we take the liberty of submitting for your consideration, this letter for the sum of thirty-two point six million U.S. dollars ($32.6M), being the final payment due to us following completion of the above mentioned contract.

  We wish to state that in arriving at this claim, we have taken cognizance of the mobilization fee already received from you and have also affected all necessary discounts in relation to variation orders issued and approved by consultants during the execution of the contract.

  In accordance with terms of the contract and all relevant amendments thereto, and to enable to discharge our obligation to our numerous sub-contractors, we kindly remit the above stated amount in full to our under mentioned bank:

   

  Account number:.........................

   

  Bankers name:...........................

   

  Bankers address:........................

   

  Bank facsimile No:......................

   

  Beneficiary:............................

   

  Thanking you in advance for your co-operation:

   

  Yours Faithfully,

  Managing Director

   

  Simon was stunned and he sat back on the desk to stare at the document. There was more to read on the other pages, but he had seen enough to know the gist of it.

  All he had to do was prepare some false letterheads, type in the letter the African had faxed him and send it back to the African. He would put it through his government offices and Simon would be $32.6m dollars richer.

  He folded the paper and put it into an old envelope he retrieved from the waste paper bin, turned the fax off and left the building. He would have tonight and tomorrow to read the rest he thought.

  The sun was low as he started the boats motor and set off up stream. As he motored along he didn’t take note of the river, its tree lined banks or the birdlife jostling noisily for the best night perching places.

  He was different somehow, and he drove the boat fast, not hearing the blaring outboard motor he usually found annoying.