The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has identified former President John Dramani Mahama as the ‘Government Official 1’ mentioned in the Airbus bribery scandal, however, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, confirmed that there is no evidence showing Mahama received any bribes.
Addressing the media in Accra, Mr. Agyebeng elaborated on the findings of a comprehensive four-year investigation by the OSP into the scandal, stating that the investigation and the disclosure of involved individuals were driven by public interest.
“The individual referred to as Government Official One by the UK court and Individual One by the US court is John Dramani Mahama,” Mr. Agyebeng revealed. “Mahama served as Vice President of Ghana from January 7, 2009, to 2012 and as President from 2012 to January 7, 2017. His terms in office coincided with the periods covered by the UK and US investigations into Airbus’s sales to Ghana.”
The OSP also identified Mahama’s brother, Samuel Adam Mahama, as ‘Intermediary 5,’ a key figure in the Airbus scandal, who was mentioned in court documents.
The controversy began with Ghana’s procurement of military aircraft from the European aerospace company and was initially probed by former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu in 2020.
The focus was on an agreement to purchase two military transport aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces during Mahama’s administration.
Despite earlier allegations linking Mahama and his brother to the scandal, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has recently clarified that there is no evidence implicating the former President in any misconduct.
The scandal, which has drawn international scrutiny for bribery and corruption, involves Ghana’s acquisition of three military aircraft from Airbus between 2011 and 2015 with Court documents from the UK revealing that Airbus allegedly used intermediaries to bribe officials to secure contracts, with significant focus on Ghana’s dealings.
The OSP’s latest findings have cleared Mahama of any wrongdoing, confirming that while he was identified as ‘Government Official 1,’ there is no evidence linking him to corrupt practices related to the Airbus transactions.
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Source: Comfort Sweety Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
