The Office of the Special Prosecutor has cleared former President John Mahama from any acts of corruption and corruption related offences in the controversial Airbus bribery scandal.
According to Kissi Agyebeng, 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.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, August 8, 2024, four years after the Airbus bribery scandal accused Mr Mahama as the mysterious ‘Government Official 1’, the Special Prosecutor stated that: “In accordance of the laws of Ghana, in the estimation of the OSP, there was nothing remarkable about the deal and certainly will not have found it way in the UK and the USA prosecution agreements and made headlines around the world but for the involment of former president John Dramani Mahama and his younger brother of full blood, Samuel Adam Foster, also known as Adam Mahama.”
Mr. Agyebeng indicated that “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 a decision by the government of Ghana in preference of the C29 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 lackless co-incidence that attracted the disapproval of the UK and the US authorities.”
“The OSP found no evidence that suggest that the involvement of Foster, as intermediary of Airbus, and 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.” He added.
The Special Prosecutor continued: “However, it ought reasonably to have occurred to former President Mahama and the Government of Ghana that the familial relationship between former President Mahama and Foster and the direct participation by former President Mahama in the communications and meetings with Airbus officials were bound to raise reasonable suspicions of improper conduct and dealings notwithstanding any claims to good faith conduct and above board dealings,”
“Especially, in light of the fact that during the first Airbus campaign, former president Mahama was the chairman of the Armed Forces Council by reason of his position as the vice president and therefore, a very key decision maker. Such closed proximity dealing, by such high elected officials of the Republic and their king, and close associates on behalf of the Republic should neither be viewed favourably and encouraged, as they give rise to reasonable suspicion of influnce peddling and conflict of interest. Never mind, any intended good faith on the part of the vice president or the president.” He said.
“Then again, the direct participation of the President and the Vice President (on behalf of the Republic) in commercial communications and meetings with commercial entities should not be encouraged either – as they expose these elected high officials to the spectre of the slightest hint of perceived corruption that may attend international business transactions. The President and the vice president should be insolated from such direct commercial dealings.” Mr. Kissi Agyebeng indicated.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
