Former President John Dramani Mahama has called on President Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to submit themselves to the same level of scrutiny that he endured during the Airbus scandal investigations.
This demand follows the Special Prosecutor’s recent finding, which cleared him of any wrongdoing in the high-profile case.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, August 8, Mahama expressed his approval of the investigation’s outcome, which he said has vindicated him from the baseless accusations that were made against him. He stressed the need for transparency and accountability from all public officials, regardless of their position, and urged the current administration to uphold these standards.
“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,” a part of the release read.
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng confirmed that Mahama was not involved in the Airbus scandal, following an investigation that began in February 2020.
The investigation revealed that Mahama, identified as Government Official 1 in UK court documents and Individual 1 in US court filings, played no role in the bribery allegations.
Mahama has repeatedly denied any involvement in the scandal, which emerged after his administration purchased three military aircraft from Airbus. T
he controversy was fueled by then-Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s criticism of the deals, alleging that the contracts, worth over 70 million euros and more than 100 million dollars, were inflated and lacked transparency.
The scandal gained international attention when England’s Crown Court in Southwark highlighted that Airbus had attempted to bribe officials connected to a prominent Ghanaian government figure between 2011 and 2015 to facilitate the sale of two C295 aircraft. Initially, Airbus planned to offer a 5 million euros bribe disguised as a commission to an intermediary with close ties to a key Ghanaian official overseeing the aircraft purchases.
Mahama has consistently challenged the Akufo-Addo administration to prosecute him if any evidence of wrongdoing were found, emphasizing his commitment to transparency and accountability.