Airbus scandal: OSP identifies Mahama as 'Government official 1', but clears him of any involvement.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has named former President John Dramani Mahama as the Government Official 1 in the Airbus Scandal.

 Speaking during a press conference in Accra on Thursday, August 8, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng confirmed the former president's brother, Samuel Mahama, as an intermediary 5.

Giving a brief synopsis of the investigations conducted by his organization, the OSP acknowledged that John Dramani Mahama was named as Government Official 1 and Individual 1 by UK and US courts, respectively, but played no role in the acquisition.

"The OSP confirms the identity of the following individuals. The individual described as Government Official 1 by the UK court and Individual 1 by the US court is John Dramani Mahama. He is a citizen of Ghana and was the Vice-President of Ghana from January 7 2009 to July 24, 2012,” the OSP stated.

"The OSP investigation found no evidence that former President Mahama was involved or played any role in the procurement and maintenance of the agency relationship between Airbus and Foster and his associates in respect of the purchase by the Government of Ghana of military transport aircraft from Airbus."

“And it appears to the OSP that the direct communications and meetings between former President Mahama and officials of Airbus to close the deal were actuated by good intentions on the part of the former.

“It also appears that Foster and his associates became involved as intermediaries in the Airbus-Ghana deal after the decision by the Government of Ghana in preference of the C-295 aircraft. Therefore, it seems that Foster’s Airbus intermediary role at the time his brother served as the Vice President of Ghana was a case of luckless coincidence that attracted the disapproval of the UK and US authorities.

“The OSP found no evidence that suggests that the involvement of Foster as an intermediary of Airbus and the direct communications and meetings between former President Mahama and officials of Airbus to close the deal between Airbus and the Government of Ghana amounted to any corruption and corruption-related offence in respect of which the OSP has a mandate.”

Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu launched an inquiry in 2020 into an arrangement signed during Mahama's government to purchase two military transport aircraft from Airbus for the Ghana Armed Forces.

Former President John Dramani Mahama and his brother Samuel Adam Mahama Foster were said to be involved in the incident.

A UK court heard allegations against Samuel Adam Mahama Foster and his UK acquaintances in the Airbus SE-Ghana case and issued an arrest order, prompting an INTERPOL Red Notice.

Source: Lead News Online