Martin Amidu reveals fresh insights into the Airbus scandal

Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has reportedly shared new insights into his investigation into the Airbus scandal during his tenure.

As per a statement cited by GhanaWeb, Amidu disclosed that he chose not to disclose many details about the investigation in 2020 due to the country’s election year and the sensitivity surrounding the identity of “Government Official 1” implicated in the scandal.

The former special prosecutor, who has previously served as Attorney General and Minister for Justice, claimed that he withheld information, including the alleged involvement of former President John Dramani Mahama and his brother Samuel Adam Mahama Foster, in the scandal.

“Does the fact that a court of law heard the charges against Samuel Adam Mahama Foster and his UK friends in the Airbus SE-Ghana case and issued an arrest warrant for them, resulting in the INTERPOL Red Notice, not signify beyond doubt that Government Official 1 is his elder brother, John Dramani Mahama, who was the Vice-President and later the President of Ghana at the time of the bribery loot of almost €5 million from the public purse?

“I led the Airbus SE investigation and showed the head of investigation at the OSP at the time, then Inspector Mark Karikari and his team, the hotels and leased apartment where Samuel Adam Mahama Foster and his UK friends resided, including the government property sold to Michael Abu Sakara Foster where Samuel Adam Foster claimed as his abode on the forms he filled at the Ghana Immigration Service at the Kotoka International Airport upon his first entry into Ghana with his UK friends,” Martin Amidu wrote.

He added, “Apart from acquiring all the immigration records of entry and departure from Ghana of Samuel Adam Mahama Foster and his UK friends as part of the Airbus SE-Ghana corruption investigation, I managed to secure bank accounts and statements of Samuel Adam Foster as supporting evidence.

I also showed the investigation team the office of Abu Sakara Foster at the T-junction at the Adabraka/Kokomlemle junction on the Kojo Thompson Road in case he was required for interrogation. This is how thorough the Airbus SE investigation was conducted by the OSP under my watch before I postponed the investigation to after the 2020 elections to avoid accusations of election interference.”

Amidu also said that he refused to invite former President Mahama for interrogation because he didn’t want the OSP to be seen “as a tool of political electioneering campaign on behalf of the NPP government.”

He dared the former president and his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to reopen the investigation and invite “Scotland Yard” if they indeed claim to have committed no wrong should they come to power again.

“Asiedu Nketiah and John Mahama, if you claim to be incorruptible, kindly make a promise to Ghanaians that should you win the 2024 elections, you will invite Scotland Yard to conduct an investigation into the Airbus SE-Ghana scandal in which the American, British, French, and Spanish Governments already identified Government Official 1 as Samuel Adam Mahama Foster’s elder brother who served as Vice-President and President of Ghana.”

About the Airbus Scandal:

Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer, was accused of paying bribes in Ghana during the sale of three military aircraft.

The aerospace company acknowledged hiring the brother of a prominent Ghanaian official as its consultant for the sale of the aircraft to the country.

Additionally, Airbus admitted to making payments to the consultant through a third party after its Compliance Unit raised concerns about the close relationship between the consultant and the senior Ghanaian official, who played a significant role in the military aircraft purchase.

Former President John Dramani Mahama was among the government officials implicated in the scandal, with former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu suggesting that the label “Government Official One” in the scandal referred to the former president.

In a communication during his tenure as Special Prosecutor, Amidu disclosed how John Mahama allegedly leveraged his position to secure a Ghanaian passport for his brother, Samuel Adam Mahama.

Martin Amidu said, “Amongst other reasons for the letter to the said Ministry, Samuel Adam Mahama’s elder brother of full blood, who without a doubt and the evidence available to this Office answers to the description of the elected Government Official 1, allegedly granted a denial interview to the Daily Graphic which published the same on June 20, 2020, fortunately containing suspected admissions that he is the elected Government Official 1 referred to in the UK judgement.

“Serving appointees of this government have been unable to obtain the voice recording of this interview to enable the Office to confront the former president with his own admissions in the interview as answering to the description of the brother of Samuel Adam Mahama as Intermediary 5.”

John Mahama, however, refuted the allegations and urged Martin Amidu, who was serving as Special Prosecutor at the time, to prosecute him if he was indeed the individual referred to as Government Official One.