A member of the ruling National Democratic Congress, Allotey Jacobs, has revealed that the travel expenses of his much talked about trip to the United States of America, is being footed by an inviting company.

Mr. Jacobs, who was earlier rumoured to have been apprehended for money laundering in the UK, where he briefly transited over the weekend, has since made his way to the United States attending an event on behalf of the National Petroleum Authority of which he is a board member.

On Monday evening, an attempt by Journalist Richard Sky to ascertain who was paying for the trip, got Mr. Jacobs to reveal that his bills and that of one other, were being footed by the company, whose name he gave as Authentix. Authentix as Mr. Jacobs explained, has “dealings with the National Petroleum Authority”.

Calling Sky’s question ‘stupid’, he went on to justify why the decision to send him and his colleague to the U.S on business class tickets and to lodge them in an expensive hotel, was standard corporate governance practice.

Authentix provides fuel marking, excise tax recovery, brand protection, supply chain security, product authentication and banknote authentication solutions to governments, Fortune 500 companies and central banks around the world.

Authentix says it helps safeguard clients in the refined fuels, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, agrochemicals and spirits industries from counterfeiting, product theft, product diversion, smuggling and adulteration. The company also claims that it helps protect currencies for many leading central banks.

Authentix claims it has helped recover US$ billions in lost sales and tax revenue for clients.