The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu has disclosed that the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Former President John Dramani Mahama is the ‘Government Official 1’ in the controversial Airbus scandal
When the news of the Airbus scandal broke, most people were pointing fingers at former president Mahama for his alleged involvement in the scandal.
He was referred to as the government official one because he was the head of state by the time the deal was sealed.
Despite all these allegations, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mahama revealed that he did not make any benefit whatsoever from the deal which reportedly was transacted during his time as president.
However, Martin Amidu said the former president is the one that has been indicted in the saga of leading the fraudulent purchase of an aircraft for the Ghana Military from Airbus.
This, he disclosed, in his corruption risk assessment report of the Agyapa Royalties deal.
Mr. Amidu then added that the only reason why the NDC presidential candidate is not under investigation by his office is because of the December 7 polls.
The only reason the former President [Mahama] has not been invited for interrogation (in spite of all threats from some of his followers and lawyers) is the fact that he got himself insurance as the Presidential candidate of the other largest political party in Ghana.
he said
He added that
prudence dictated that the interrogation be held in abeyance during this election season
The global airplane manufacturing giant, Airbus SE, in February 2020, was fined a record three billion pounds in penalties by the UK Crown Court of Southwark, London, after admitting it had paid huge bribes on an “endemic” basis to land contracts in 20 countries, including Ghana and in the United States.
The damages against Airbus SE, with Case No.: 1:20-cr-00021 (TFH), was being assessed after the historic judgement at the District Court of Columbia.
UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), in documents sent to court, quoted at least five million Euros as payment of kickbacks to a top Ghanaian official through an intermediary who is a close relative of “a high-ranking elected Ghanaian government official” during the Mahama administration.
Martin Amidu stated that there is enough “reasonable suspicion” of corruption and bribery in the deferred prosecution agreement between Airbus and the British Serious Fraud Office in which Ghana was featured.