The Office of former President John Dramani Mahama has expressed great satisfaction with the recent ruling by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which clears the former president of any involvement in the Airbus scandal.
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng confirmed that John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, had no part in the controversial Airbus dealings during his time in office.
The OSP’s findings were announced after the investigation identified Mahama as the individual referred to as Government Official 1 by the UK court and Individual 1 by the US court in the Airbus case. Special Prosecutor Agyebeng disclosed these details during a media briefing, following investigations that began in February 2020.
Throughout the years, Mahama has consistently denied any involvement in the Airbus scandal, even challenging the Akufo-Addo government to prosecute him if any evidence of wrongdoing was found.
In response to the OSP’s ruling, Mahama’s office released a statement, emphasizing that the decision reaffirms the former president’s integrity and his unwavering commitment to honesty and transparency in his political career.
“The OSP’s ruling reaffirms what we have always known: John Dramani Mahama is a man of integrity, a leader committed to the principles of honesty and transparency,” the statement read.
The statement, signed by special aide Joyce Bawah Mogtari, also addressed the broader political context of the scandal. It criticized the current government for allegedly using the issue as a tool for political advantage, despite the UK’s Serious Fraud Office having cleared Mahama’s brother and others involved. The ruling government, according to the statement, continued to misrepresent the matter for its gain.
A noteworthy point in the OSP’s findings, according to Mahama’s office, was the revelation that President Nana Akufo-Addo had personally requested an investigation into Mahama. This, the statement suggested, raises questions about the true motivations behind the accusations, which were seen as attempts to tarnish Mahama’s reputation.
“The lies and fabricated stories against President Mahama over the last eight years have been consistently proven false,” the statement asserted, highlighting Mahama’s consistent cooperation with investigations and his confidence in having nothing to hide.
Mahama’s office concluded with a challenge to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and President Akufo-Addo, urging them to embrace the same level of scrutiny and transparency, emphasizing the importance of accountability for all leaders.
“In this spirit, we extend the same challenge to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and President Akufo-Addo to subject themselves to equal scrutiny and transparency as we strive for accountability in our leadership,” the statement added.
The airbus bribery scandal emerged after the previous Mahama government bought three Military Airplanes from Airbus.
Then Minority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu slammed the deals as both questionable and non-transparent, adding that the contract sums, over 70 million euros and over 100 million dollars, had been padded by the government.
The matter gained international recognition and England’s Crown Court in Southwark in its judgement highlighted that Airbus, through intermediaries, attempted to bribe officials linked to a high-ranking Ghanaian government figure between 2011 and 2015 to secure the sale of two C295 aircraft.
Initially, Airbus planned to pay a 5 million euro bribe disguised as a commission to an insider who had close ties to a powerful Ghanaian official overseeing the aircraft purchase deals.