John Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama appears to have been shattered by the official revelation by the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, that he is, indeed, the personality identified as “the elected Government Official One (GO1)” in the Airbus bribery scandal that has assumed a global dimension.
The Special Prosecutor made the revelation as part of his observations in the corruption risk assessment report on the Agyapa Royalties deal which he submitted to the Office of the President on October 16, 2020.
He added that he also has documentary evidence of suspected forgeries and deceit of a public officer by “the full blood brothers” in the corruption transaction to obtain a Ghanaian passport for Samuel Adam Mahama, who is a “blood brother” of former President Mahama.
Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu further stated that his Office has warrants of arrest issued by the Courts of Ghana, and an Interpol Red Alert Notice outstanding, for execution in the case of the Republic v. Samuel Adam Mahama and Others (known as the Airbus SE – Ghana Bribery Scandal involving the then Government of Ghana).
“This Office has established the identity of elected Government official 1 to be former President John Dramani Mahama whose brother of the full blood is Samuel Adam Foster, also known as Samuel Adam Mahama,” Mr Amidu stated.
“The former President has also not offered to make any voluntary statement to this Office despite the publication of an alleged interview containing admissions purportedly made by the former President to a Daily Graphic reporter without the full voice recording, which in the meantime remains just hearsay,” he added.
Mahama’s response
Meanwhile, former President John Mahama says the claim by the Special Prosecutor that he is Government Official 1 in the airbus controversy is disappointing.
According to him, no financial benefit accrued to him in the Airbus bribery deal, as has been claimed in media reports.
Speaking on Accra based Starr FM yesterday, the NDC flagbearer said the Special Prosecutor has no basis to continue with his investigation because no wrong took place.
“I’m disappointed in Martin Amidu for putting that paragraph in his report to equalize things. No financial benefit accrued to me, not a single dollar. Legally, he has not a single basis to continue with that investigation. He should show us what investigation he has done; he should tell us who he has spoken to,” an obvious distraught Mahama told his audience.
‘Political insurance’
In spite of identifying the NDC 2020 presidential candidate as the main key government official involved in the bribery scandal, Mr Amidu has said the former President has not been invited for interrogation because he got himself an insurance as the presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“The only reason the former President has not been invited for interrogation (in spite of all threats from some of his followers and lawyers) is the fact that he got himself an insurance as the Presidential candidate of the other largest political party in Ghana and prudence dictated that the interrogation be held in abeyance during this election season,” he stressed.
According to him, but for the upcoming general election, Mr John Mahama would have been grilled over his alleged involvement in the bribery scandal.
That leaves the case hanging, but not entirely struck off under international law.
Mr Amidu also indicated that former President Mahama, as of now, has not offered to make any voluntary statement to his Office, despite the publication of an alleged interview containing admissions purportedly made by the former President to a Daily Graphic reporter without the full voice recording which makes the report just hearsay.
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